Dimension SwitchEnter NARUTO!
by FlexRhysode1
Summary: When a Friend and I spend the night together, something amazingly weird happens! A dimension Wizard named Journey sends us to the World of Naruto, for free! But, what reason does he really have for sending us there? Read to find out more! Rated T
1. Chapter 1: Journey

Dimension Switch…ENTER NARUTO!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Naruto…unfortunately. I do own Journey, Patrick, Brandon, and anything else in the world of Naruto that I mark like this: Bob

CHAPTER ONE: JOURNEY

"IDIOT!" An angry male voice yelled, and the sound of someone throwing something could be heard.

"Actually…if you want to get technical…it's 'Baka'." A calmer and deeper male voice answered back, slightly amused.

Sitting down in front of a television, were two teenage boys. A blonde-haired person, and a brown-haired person. The brown-haired person was yelling at the television, and had thrown a rubber ball at it. His hair was dark brown, almost black. He was a thin, wiry fellow who had a bowl cut hairstyle. He had a furious glare on his face as he wiped his white and sweaty hands across his dark green tee shirt and blue jeans. On the front of his tee was a picture of Rock Lee, a character in a series that they were watching currently. His hands, done wiping their perspiration off their surface, dove back into the popcorn bowl between the two boys.

"SHHHH!" Said the brunette to the blonde, not even paying attention to what he had said.

The blond, a sturdier and older teenager, grinned but continued to watch one of his favorite episodes of the Anime known as Naruto. "You shush. You are the one who is yelling at the television, Patrick. Besides, thanks to the Teevo, you've seen this particular episode at least ten times." He said. His ice-blue eyes stared hard at the television and watched as his favorite ninja, Neji Hyuga, fought the main character Naruto. He had black plastic rimmed glasses, close-cropped blond hair that was brushed lazily straight down, and he wore blue jeans and a white tee shirt. He also reached into the popcorn bowl, but instead of grabbing a handful like his friend Patrick, he only grabbed two pieces.

Patrick rolled his dark brown eyes, and huffed. "Brandon...shush already. Don't interrupt, or I'll start the episode over again!"

Brandon grinned, and watched as the episode concluded. He was satisfied that his favorite ninja lost, because Neji would then grow from the experience. He stood, dusted the few popcorn crumbs off his blue jeans, and stretched leisurely. The cream-colored walls were darkened by the fact that it was nighttime, and the light brown carpet was also darkened. The green plush couch behind them was unused, and so was the maple coffee table right in front of the couch. The boys were watching the TV on the floor, right in front of the black Entertainment Hutch that housed the VCR, PS2, XBOX, DVD player, the TEEVO equipment, the TV, and a large collection of movies.

Patrick stretched as well, and then stood. Brandon got a mischievous grin on his face and looked at his friend. His friend turned, saw the look, and groaned. "Awww man! This always happens after we watch Naruto."

Brandon nodded, pushed his black rimmed glasses back onto the bridge of his nose, and continued to grin. He then gracefully moved his limbs into a position that was none other than the Juken, Gentle Fist, style off Naruto. His left foot extended away from his body, bent at the knee slightly, and his right leg bent slightly and his foot pointed slightly away from his body. He extended his left hand, palm facing his friend, and kept his left arm bent at the elbow. He then lowered his right hand towards his side, but kept it extended just a little bit just like his other arm. So, he had two palms facing his friend, and he quoted one of his favorite sayings. "Whatever you do…it's futile." He said, and his friend rolled his eyes.

His friend simply stood at attention, then extended his own left hand. His arm was bent at the elbow almost in a 90° angle, and the back of his hand faced his friend. He then put his right arm behind his back, and stood rigidly at attention. "I am the Handsome Devil of The Hidden Leaf Village, and my name is Patrick!" He said, in a decent imitation of Rock Lee.

Brandon quickly exited his pose, and then put his hands together in the Seal of the Tiger and said, "BYAKUGAN!" He returned to his pose, and Patrick rolled his eyes once more.

"I will show you that Hard Work and Dedication can override Natural Talent! After I defeat you, you will believe in the power of the Bloom of Youth!" Patrick said, almost causing Brandon to laugh and lose the serious look on his face.

The living room they were in had plenty of room for them to spar the way they did, seeing as they had done this several times before. Last time, Brandon had tried to be Gaara, but failed miserably due to the lack of sand and Patrick had been Rock Lee and had kicked Brandon's rear end. Brandon jumped forward, on the attack, immediately formulating a plan. He was a quick thinker, and in the split second he had to come up with a plan, he had a stroke of genius.

Patrick tried to perform a rapid series of punches, immediately aiming to take out Brandon's arms so that he would be unable to perform the Juken. But, Brandon blocked a blow to his head and then, in a move identical to Neji's, he twisted his left hand so that his first two fingers pushed against the inside of Patrick's biceps and left Patrick's chest open to attack. Brandon thrust his right hand, the attack hand, straight for Patrick's unprotected chest.

Patrick stumbled backwards, desperately trying to get out of range of the Master Stroke. He managed to, but then he slipped on the rubber ball that he had thrown at the television moments earlier. He cursed as he slipped and started to fall backwards, but Brandon grabbed his right arm and quickly yanked him back towards him. He then assumed another stance, legs planted wide and arms outstretched on either side of him, and attacked Patrick while he was distracted.

"You're in the zone of my 8 trigrams! Now I'll show you a Hyuga Style Technique!" Brandon said, and then said, "8 trigrams: 64 palms of Fury!"

Patrick, regaining his balance, watched in disappointment as Brandon struck out with both his hands. He poked Patrick in the center of his chest with the first two fingers of both his hands, and then said, "2 palms!"

He then made up spots to hit, and if he had realized that he had hit every spot he was supposed to, he would have been proud. But, he struck blindly, hitting spots in the chest, abdomen, and arms. He yelled out his progress, "4 palms! 8 Palms, 16 Palms, 32 palms, 8 Trigrams…64 palms!" He finished his attack, and Patrick stumbled backwards with his hands raised in surrender.

"You always get me with that. You suck." Patrick said, and Brandon laughed. It was true. Whenever he was Neji, he kicked Patrick's butt. Brandon exited his stance, and Patrick rubbed his chest as if he was sore. "You poke too hard. It's supposed to be _gentle_!" He said, and walked over to the green plush couch. He flopped down, yawned, and looked at the time.

A clock hung next to the couch, displaying digital and glowing blue numbers. It was 1:30 in the morning, and Patrick was dog-tired. Brandon yawned too, but he said, "You know…I wish that Naruto was real. That would be so freakin' cool. I could be a Ninja, you could be a Ninja, and we could have fun!"

Patrick nodded and said, "If wishes were fishes…I would be a fat man. Mainly because I would eat all the fishes."

"Seriously, though. If you could be a ninja, what would you be able to do? What village and clan would you want to be from?" Brandon asked, and sat next to Patrick on the couch.

Patrick scratched his head. "I don't know." He then tired to recline and close his eyes, but Brandon elbowed him in the ribs. "Come on. Tell me." Brandon said, and Patrick glared at him.

"Gosh. Fine. I would want to be like Rock Lee. I would not want to mess with any Ninjutsu or Genjutsu…just Taijutsu. I would want to be able to use all the Lotus techniques…including the Forbidden ones. And, I would like to be able to be as strong and as fast as Lee. I would want to be from the Leaf Village, not be from any important clans, and then I would want to get all the sleep I could." He said, and laid his head back again.

Brandon elbowed Patrick again, earning a punch in the arm as Patrick looked at him. "I would want to be a Hyuga…one that was kidnapped as a child by a cast out Hyuga of the Main Branch. I would like to be able to do the 8 Trigram attacks, the Palm Rotations, the Master Strokes, and being able to do the Shadow Clone Jutsu so that all my clones could do the Juken style. And then…I would want Hinata to fall in love with me!" Brandon finished his sentence with a sigh, and Patrick laughed.

"You're in love with a cartoon chick! And to top it off, it has to be the one who is obsessed with Naruto. Not to mention, she doesn't even get hot until after the two and a half years that Naruto leaves to train!" Patrick laughed.

Brandon glared at him, and then said, "Well, I would want to be put in the Shippuuden timeline then. When Hinata's my age!"

Patrick laughed so hard, that he rolled off the couch and onto the floor. Brandon got angry, so he hissed, "Oh yeah? Well at least I'm not in love with Tenten like you!"

Patrick stopped laughing, and then Brandon jumped on him as he said, "Well, Tenten's not as wimpy as Hinata!"

Both boys scuffled, rolling around on the floor trying to choke each other. Both were hurling insults about the other female, until a weird sound reached their ears. They froze; hearing a 'slurp' and Brandon felt a wet tentacle of something crawling up his leg. His hands were around Patrick's throat, but he released Patrick as soon as he felt the wet touch. Patrick made a face, and Brandon guessed that Patrick felt the same thing. They both looked down at their feet and saw a silvery pool of liquid at their feet that crawled up their bodies and pulled them down towards it.

Patrick started to panic and thrash, but the silvery tentacles lashed out and captured his wrists and legs. Patrick was about to yell, but Brandon clamped his hand around Patrick's mouth. He hissed, "Shut up! I've seen this thing before…in an anime!"

Patrick gave him a look like he was crazy, but Brandon said, "It doesn't matter what happens anyway. This thing won't let go, and it's going to pull us somewhere no matter how much we struggle." He was right. The silvery substance was up to his waist now, and it didn't feel cold anymore.

Patrick accepted this, and Brandon released him. "The only thing to do is to jump right in so it doesn't take as long." He said, and Patrick's eyes widened.

"Are you crazy?" He asked, whispering in shock.

Brandon grinned. "Yeah, but since when does a living silvery substance that sucks people down, to Lord knows where, sound sane?"

Brandon's logic made sense, and Patrick nodded, and the two slid into the silvery substance up to their necks. Patrick shivered, but Brandon smiled. "Hey…maybe we'll end up seeing something awesome. Hey...no matter what, don't let go. We'll get through this together."

He raised his silver-coated arm above the surface, and Patrick did likewise. Their hands clasped tightly, and Brandon saw a look of determination cross Patrick's face. "We'll do this…and make it through whatever comes ahead." He said.

The silvery substance had slowly been swallowing them, and was now up to their mouths. They both clamped their mouths shut and clamped their hands tighter together. Normally, they would never have held hands, but they had to make sure that they wouldn't be separated.

Brandon was sucked down, and he realized that is was sucking him down faster. He made a great show of holding his breath, just so that Patrick would understand. They both took deep breaths, and then held them as they were sucked completely underneath the silvery liquid. Brandon closed his eyes, and felt a strange tugging sensation all over his body. Patrick's hand clamped tighter around his own, and then he heard a strange sound.

It sounded like…bells. He felt like he was being slipped through a hole just barely big enough for him, and then his feet hit solid ground. The silvery substance slid off him, and he felt like he was in open air again. He fell to his knees, and Patrick fell with him. Their hands were clamped together like vises, and Brandon opened his eyes as soon as he realized he was kneeling on a hard substance. It felt like concrete.

He saw that he was kneeling in a wide-open spot, a place that looked like a park. He breathed, and realized he could. "Patrick. You can breathe." He said, and Patrick released his breath and opened his eyes.

"W-where are we?" He stuttered, and was surprised to see that his clothes weren't soaked. They were on a concrete pad, just big enough to fit them, and were surrounded by grass on all sides. There was a bright afternoon sun in the clear blue sky above them, but there seemed to be no ends to the grass around them. It stretched from horizon…to horizon. Nothing but grass. There was silence…where Brandon could not even hear a bird.

Patrick asked again. "Where are we?" as he looked around.

Brandon stood, hauling Patrick to a standing position with him, and said, "I don't know. I don't know why, but I was half-expecting Yuko from the Manga Series XXXHolic."

Patrick gave him a look that indicated he didn't know what he was talking about, and Brandon explained. "She's known as the Dimension Witch. She can do just about everything…for a price."

Patrick nodded, and Brandon heard the paint whisper of the sound of a blade of grass rustling and the faint tinkle of bells. It came from behind them. He quickly spun around, pulling Patrick behind him so he would be protected. What he saw…astounded him.

A man…6'4" tall was standing before them. He had a kind, slim face and ice blue eyes. He was thin, and wore a pure white robe. He had long, straight blond hair that reached down to his back and he held his hands clasped in front of him. He was standing still, and Brandon felt uneasy. The man literally radiated a faint light from his pale skin and light blue eyes. He had narrow features, and Brandon couldn't help but describe him as something like an Elf.

"Don't fear. I don't mean you any harm." He said, and his voice was gentle. It was a medium pitch that was soothing and light. He smiled at the boys, and Brandon released Patrick's hand.

"Where are we?" Patrick asked, coming out from behind Brandon. As if he needed to be protected…whatever.

Brandon watched as the man's glance became amused, and then became passive again. "You are in my realm. I am…a Dimensional Wizard. Similar to your…Yuko, Brandon."

Brandon started, a little creeped out that the person knew his name. Brandon narrowed his eyes, and the man chuckled. "I'm the exact opposite of Yuko. Where she charges a price for you to get anything, I give you something in return for your wanting to go."

Patrick rubbed his eyes. He blinked, rubbed his eyes again, and blinked again. "Okay…I'm obviously stuck in a freaky dream." He said, and Brandon resisted the urge to sock Patrick to prove he wasn't dreaming.

"No…you see, I've had my eyes on you both for quite some time. You both crave more to your lives…and you both love adventure. I am giving you the chance of a lifetime." He said, and took a step forward. The faint sound of a bell chimed somewhere, and the man smiled.

"Brandon…you wished that you could live in the Universe of Naruto? Well, I just happen to be able to send you there. Patrick…I brought you because I thought you might enjoy it as well. Of course neither of you have to accept…I can just send you back." He said, and Brandon felt his curiosity get the better of him.

"Okay…if I go, what's this gift you're giving me?" He asked.

The man smiled, his eyes widening and sparkling with Joy. "Well, that would be to be able to go there with the proper knowledge and abilities of course. I'm not going to send you, like Yuko, into a place completely unprepared. You can create your past…your abilities…and your relationships. All within limits of course." He said.

Patrick's eyes widened, and Brandon grinned. "Patrick…do you want to have a little adventure?" He asked.

Patrick hesitated. "What about our parents and friends?" He asked.

"No time will pass when you are in Naruto's universe. Your realm has stopped, and once I put you in Naruto's universe, your realm won't continue until you are back where you belong. When you are finished with your…adventures, you can come back any time you wish. You will continue right where you left…on the floor of your living room." He said, and Patrick's fears were allayed.

"Then yeah, I'm ready for an adventure. Even if I am dreaming…this is a good dream." He said, grinning.

Brandon and the man both grinned, and Brandon asked, "What name do we call you by?"

The man turned away, gesturing for them to follow him. He spoke to them, not looking back. "You may call me Journey." Brandon made a face, disliking the name. It was too…meaningful.

The man seemed to know, and chuckled. "I am called that because that is what I give to people…journeys within and outside of themselves."

Brandon and Patrick were following the man, walking no more than five feet before the man stopped. They stopped as well, and in the blink of an eye a white tent big enough to fit the three of them appeared out of nowhere.

"Whoa. Dude…that's cool." Patrick said.

The man walked up to the tent, opened the entrance flap, and motioned for the boys to follow. They did, and they walked into the white cloth tent. The tent was lit from the inside by two bright lamps on either side of the tent, and in the middle of the tent was a short brown table. The man walked to one side, and sat down. Brandon realized it was one of the table's you didn't use a chair for, and just sat on the ground. He copied the man, sitting across from him. Patrick followed suit and sat next to Brandon, facing Journey.

"Now…I will give you both eight sheets of paper to organize your thoughts on. Write down whatever you will need for the adventure: your past, your relationships, your abilities, your location, your tools and weapons, everything." As if on cue, out of thin air appeared a pile of 8 papers and a pen appeared in front of both Patrick and Brandon.

They each took their 8 papers and their pen's, and looked at Journey. "Well…go on. Once you're done, hand the papers to me…and your Journey will begin."

They both nodded, and quickly started to scribble on their papers. Patrick paused. "Can we rest before our Journey?" He asked, and Journey smiled kindly.

"Of course. If you require sleep, then you may sleep." He said, and Patrick smiled.

"Thanks." He said, and continued to write.

Both boys scribbled furiously, and each got lost as they created themselves to be modeled in the World of Naruto. It took them over half an hour to complete it, but they finally finished their sheets and handed them to Journey. He stood, read the papers, and smiled.

"Well, boys. You may sleep. When you wake up…you will find yourselves right where you wanted. May your adventure be enjoyable for you." He said. He walked out of the tent, and Patrick and Brandon were both surprised to see the table disappear and instead two cushioned mats appeared in front of them. They had pure white pillows, blankets, and the like.

Brandon climbed into one bed immediately, and Patrick quickly crawled under the blankets. "See you in Naruto. I hope I don't have to kick your butt." He chuckled, and Brandon laughed with him.

Surprisingly…they both fell asleep within a few minutes. It wasn't a gradual sleep either, it was more like they blinked once and then they were out. Journey walked into the tent, smiled, and whispered, "May your Journey be blessed."

Okay, this is just the intro! Next chapter will be told through both boys' perspectives. Let me know what you think of this idea! I can't wait to continue to write! Review please!!!!!

FR


	2. Chapter 2: Resurfacing Memory

Dimension Switch…ENTER NARUTO!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto…unfortunately. I do own Journey, Patrick, Brandon, and anything else in the world of Naruto that I mark like this: Bob

A/N: I debated between using Yuko and making Journey, but I decided I hated Yuko so I would not use her. I would use someone nicer, lol. This chapter is going to be a little lengthy, so bear with me.

Oh, and _flashback_ will show certain memories or flashbacks. They will be marked clearly for you to see, and all memories will be in _italics_. So will thoughts, but thoughts will be like: '_What the heck?_'

Changes of Character and Perspective are indicated by a line of: -------------------------------------

Changes of Time are indicated by a line of:

Changes of Time and Character/Perspective are indicated by a line of:

----------------------

Just a guide for you guys.

CHAPTER TWO: Resurfacing Memory

_Flashback_

_Brandon Hyuga…a name long forgotten in the Hyuga clan. One of the Main Branch Members of the Hyuga Clan, he had been kidnapped by an outcast Hyuga at the age of two years old. They had tried desperately to try to rescue the boy…but they lost the trail once it passed beyond the borders of Konoha. The Byakugan…the All-Seeing Eye…had left Konoha, and was now possibly in the hands of an enemy._

_He had been promised to the Hyuga Heiress, as an arranged marriage in order to keep the bloodline pure and strong and to keep Family Ties from unraveling. But, once he was kidnapped, the marriage was obviously called off. Brandon Hyuga was considered dead…and for all they knew, he was._

_But, he was far from dead. He had been raised in the Land of Cloud…under the tutelage of a traitor Hyuga. The Hyuga man named Hakashino became Brandon's father, and taught him the many secrets of the Hyuga. He was raised and trained as a Cloud Ninja, but doubts grew in his heart over the years. He was different, and he had memories…memories where Hakashino was not included. On the day of his Sixteenth birthday, he woke…to find something different about himself. Memories and feelings that were long forgotten and buried. In a quest to find answers, he raided the Raikage's office and searched desperately for papers on his existence. He discovered the truth of his existence the afternoon of his birthday, in the small dusty office of the Raikage…_

(_End Flashback_)

Brandon's eyes snapped open, and he sat upright. His breath came in shallow gasps, and he immediately recalled what happened. He had been sucked into a silvery substance with Patrick, and then he had met a man named Journey. Journey had said that he could send them to the World of Naruto, and then they had fallen asleep. Brandon whipped his head around, wildly searching for signs of Patrick. He was not there.

Brandon was lying on a bed, a small cot, with thin sheets of white cloth and a flat pillow. His cot was attached to the wall, and the room he was in was a bare white room. The tile was white, the walls were white, and the smooth ceiling was white. The walls were smooth, completely unblemished, and there was only a set of nicely laid out clothes at the foot of his 'bed'. There seemed to be no signs of a door anywhere…no sign of an exit.

He stood, and realized that he could see…without glasses. The glasses that he usually wore were gone, and he could see perfectly. He looked around, pleased with his perfect vision, and stretched. He was suddenly aware that he was wearing nothing except a pair of black underwear briefs, and the room was chilly. He walked over to the pile of clothes, starting to get excited as he noticed the style of the clothes. There was a black tunic top with only a left sleeve, and it had a white lining on the shoulders. The collar was also white, but the folds of the tunic were white and would be tucked into a white sash around his waist. Attached to the sash was an 8-inch wide flap that extended down a foot and a half. It had white trim and black silky cloth in the middle. At the bottom of the flap was a yin-yang symbol. There were also black loose-fitting pants, a roll of white cloth bandage, a shuriken and kunai holster, a black Cloud Headband, and on the floor were two black Ninja Sandal Boots.

He knew who he was, but he also knew who he was supposed to be. He was Brandon _Hyuga_, the Character he modeled for the world of Naruto. He sighed, and realized how foolish he was. He and Patrick had not told each other where they would be and where they could find each other. He cursed his luck, and quickly assembled his outfit. First, he took the roll of white cloth bandage and carefully wrapped it around his entire right arm, from his shoulder down to the knuckles on his fingers. It was difficult to do, but he was surprised at how quickly he accomplished it. He then slipped on the tunic top, the pants, and then the sash. He took the remaining bandage wrap and wrapped it around his right thigh, and secured it there with a pin. He then attached his kunai holster in place on top of the bandages, and slipped on his ninja sandal boots. He felt a shiver run up his spine, a shiver of excitement, as he grasped the soft silk black Ninja headband in his hands and brought it to his forehead.

'_I am no longer Brandon Leite…I am Brandon Hyuga. With this headband in place, I become a Shinobi.'_ He thought, and carefully placed the metal forehead protector on his forehead and tied the headband around his forehead. His fingers tied the knot easily, and then he ran his hand through his hair. He grinned, and thought, '_Even my hair feels anime-like. It's short still, but spiky. Not puffy as it is in _my _world._'

He closed his eyes, bringing about a calm center as he reviewed his memories and immersed himself in the persona of Brandon Hyuga. This room had an exit…but only an exit that could be seen by using the Byakugan. Right now, Hakashino would be drinking his coffee, reading the newspaper and preparing for his daily duties. Brandon Hyuga brought his two hands up, into the sign of the tiger, and snapped open his eyes while saying, "Byakugan!"

Suddenly, everything changed. He could see the weak places in the walls, he could see _through_ the walls, and he could see the outline of the door now. He looked around the outside of his room, and saw Hakashino standing outside the door. He relaxed his muscles and closed his eyes again, and when he reopened them, the Byakugan was deactivated. He walked to the spot on the wall where the door was located, then put a hand against the panel, and pushed.

A door swung outward, slowly, and Brandon walked out of it. Standing in front of him, hands clasped behind him and waiting patiently with a passive face, was Hakashino Hyuga. He wore nothing but a simple grey tunic top and pants, black ninja sandal boots, the Cloud Ninja Headband, and wore his long black hair in a ponytail that came down to his lower back. His pale grey, pupil-less eyes locked with Brandon's, and his stern and sharp features actually had a hint of…happiness. His prominent cheekbones, his sharp nose, his strong jaw…all were signs of his strength. Brandon stopped, and let the door swing shut behind him. He bowed slightly and said, "Father, good morning."

Hakashino said dryly, "You had another dream last night." It wasn't a question…just an observation.

Brandon nodded. "Yes, Father. I…I had a dream about a girl. A Hyuga Girl with indigo blue hair, and wearing a Leaf headband around her neck. She kept talking to someone I couldn't see…someone familiar."

The man's features seemed to harden even more…if it was possible. "I see. But what made you thrash about so much?" He asked.

Brandon's eyes, which had still been locked with his father's, darted away for a mere fraction. He remembered that he could tell his father anything…and trust his father completely, and he quickly locked gazes again. "I…I dreamed of a boy with spiky and messy blond hair. He had strange whisker marks on his cheeks, and he had blue eyes. He also wore a Leaf Headband. He was yelling at me…and I engaged him in battle. His eyes changed color. From a light blue to a dark red, and his pupil's became slitted like an animal's. I don't know why…but I was afraid of him." He said.

His father's gaze softened, and a soft smile appeared. His father put his right hand on Brandon's left, and he said, "Everything will be fine. Nothing can go wrong today."

Brandon gazed questioningly up at his father, and asked, "What do you mean?"

The Father grinned, a rare smile that lit up the room around him, and said, "Today is your sixteenth birthday…the day when you become a man."

Brandon suddenly remembered that today was indeed his birthday. Brandon nodded in acceptance, and smiled. "It seems I forgot." He laughed softly at his faulty memory, and his father nodded.

"Well, regardless, I have a gift for you." Hakashino said, and removed his hand from his son's shoulder. He turned and walked down the hall that they were in, and into the wide-open living room. The living room was plain, having a tan colored shag carpet, cream colored walls, one large couch on the farthest wall ahead of them, and two windows on the left wall. Also on the left wall was the front door, a plain wooden door, but to his right was the medium-sized kitchen. In front of the couch was a Maple coffee table, and on the table was a large box that was 2 foot tall and 2 foot wide.

Hakashino walked to the couch and sat down, and Brandon sat down next to him. The couch was a plain tan leather couch that was quite comfortable, and it could fit four people. They sat there, Brandon hesitant about what to do since he had never received a real present before, and Hakashino sitting there watching Brandon with an amused expression on his face.

"Well, don't you want to see what's inside?" Hakashino asked with a happy grin on his face.

Brandon nodded, and grinned himself. He extended one hand and opened the box, since it was not sealed with any tape, easily. Inside was a lot of white foam peanuts, and Brandon reached both of his hands into the box. He felt around, until his hands grasped onto something and then he pulled it out. It was a silk-cloth-wrapped box, roughly half a foot wide and half a foot tall. The silk was a soft black, and he gently brought it to his lap. There was a gold clasp in the front of the box, one that kept the box shut.

The box seemed so plain…yet beautiful. "Go ahead…open it." Urged his father.

He gently undid the clasp, and opened the black box. What he saw astounded him. Sitting in the box on a black velvet cushion was a golden medallion with a golden chain. On the middle of the medallion was an engraved single flame, the symbol of the House of the Hyuga. Brandon withdrew the medallion, and reverently held it in his palms.

"This is the Hyuga Seal…one that is supposed to go to the strongest of each household. I give this to you, because you have surpassed even my skills, both in the field of battle and on the field of negotiations. You have the heart of a warrior and the mind of a scholar, and I believe that you have indeed passed me in power." His father said, and lovingly helped his son put the medallion on.

Brandon looked at his father, tears rimming his eyes, and said, "Thank you, Father."

Hakashino bowed his head slightly, and said, "I wish we could spend the day together, but while you have the day off I have to work. I'm sorry, but I will see you tonight." He said this as he stood, and Brandon rose with him.

"Father…this means a lot to me. Thank you so much." He said, and embraced his father in a hug. His father, never one to really show affection, was startled. However, he relaxed and embraced his son gently, and said, "You have made me proud…and you deserve this. Goodbye." They released each other, and his father left the house, exiting through the front door.

Brandon was left standing there, alone but content. He gripped the medallion fiercely with his bandaged right hand and smiled softly. "I am…the strongest."

His mind began to wander as he stood there, silent and happy. His mind wandered to the dream of the girl that he had last night. He felt his blood heat up at the thought of her, and his heart rate increased. He didn't know why, but when he thought of her, he smelled the scent of lilacs and lavender. Her long indigo hair shone in the sunlight, and she had a soft smile on her lips as she spoke. She seemed hesitant, but something inside him told him that she was stronger than she appeared.

Something seemed to be tugging at his memories as he thought about her and, unlike most people, instead of struggling to remember he simply relaxed his mind and let the memory come on its own time. He stood there, relaxed with his eyes closed, and waited as the memory gently and slowly resurfaced from the recesses of his mind.

(_Memory_)

_It was nothing more than flashes, faces, sensations, and a faint smell. He identified the smell immediately as…lilacs and lavender. He saw the girl from his dream, but much younger than in his dream. She was shyly peaking her head out from behind an adult's leg, and she wiggled her fingers in greeting. She had a soft, hesitant smile, one that made him smile back. One word echoed in his head as he thought of her._ Hinata.

_He saw a face similar to Hakashino's, but this face held more authority. The man's hair was not pulled back, but was let loose and it came down to the middle of his back. He scared Brandon…seeing as he was a tall adult and he was only a child. Brandon knew his name, a name that made him want to hide._ Hiashi.

_He then looked up, and saw a blond man with a gentle face and an infectious smile. He had the pupil-less eyes of a Hyuga, and he felt a warmth and security as the man looked down at him and smiled. He held Brandon close, and seemed to be introducing Brandon to Hiashi. One word came to his mind as he looked at the blond man, one word that made him smile._ Father.

(_End Memory_)

Brandon opened his pupil-less grey eyes and realized that he was on his knees in the middle of his living room. He stood, and shook his head desperately, trying to get rid of the memory he had experienced. Father? How could the man be his father? Hakashino was his father! Or was he?

Brandon didn't know what was going on. He knew that Hakashino was his father, he knew it! But, that man that he had seen…made him feel safer than he ever had around Hakashino. He felt like he belonged…as if he was true family. He staggered to the door, and gripped the metal doorknob tightly. "No…If I go look at the records, it will show that Hakashino is my father!" He said to himself, and he hastily opened the door.

However, the records that he needed were in the Raikage's office…a place that was heavily guarded. He had to get in there! He had to see it! He had to know! He quickly initiated his Byakugan, and walked out the door. With some crazed obsession driving him, he jumped onto the flat rooftops of the Village Hidden in the Clouds. He had to know…who was his father? He had doubts…and doubt could make a person weak. He would not be weak, not after receiving the medallion. The only way to stop the weakness…was to get rid of the doubt. As he jumped from rooftop to rooftop, he clenched the medallion that was bouncing on his chest tightly in his right hand. He would be strong.

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Patrick woke with a start; jumping immediately to his feet and snapping open the shuriken holster on his right thigh. He paused, crouched on the short grass next to his sleeping bag and backpack. '_Wait a minute…a shuriken holster?_' He thought, looking down at the three throwing stars in his right hand.

He grinned, remembering everything that had just happened. "No way. Freakin' Awesome!" he yelled, and immediately jumped up. He still had the shuriken in his hands, but they were shortly forgotten at the joy of being in the world of Naruto. He ran his unoccupied left hand through his hair and smiled. He even had the haircut he wanted!

He looked down at his clothes, and tears of happiness welled up in his eyes. Everything he wanted, he had! He wore what looked like a traditional Karate Gi, except the sleeves had black trim; a black jacket tied around his waist hid the black sash. His white, loose pants had black trim around the cuffs and he wore black Ninja sandal boots. His hair was a messy-spiky type of style and he had spiky hair that came down to his neck. His hair was still a dark brown, almost black, and he realized that he was wearing fingerless black leather gloves.

He did a little dance, saying, "Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!"

Then, he remembered Brandon. "Oh snap." He said, and looked around. He was alone in a small clearing in some forest. That was all he knew. No…not just _some_ forest, but the Border forest surrounding Konoha. He was just passing through, and he was lucky that he had not been attacked by any of the wild monsters that ran rampant through here. Then, he remembered what had woken him up. A small snarling noise that did not sound human.

He crouched once more, resting his right knee in the four-inch tall grass. He closed his eyes, and the excitement of living in the World of Naruto only increased. He listened for sounds, just as he would have listened for an enemy trying to sneak up on him in Paintball. He was groggy from sleep, but his senses were sharpened by the excitement and adrenaline of being alive in his favorite Anime. With his eyes closed, his smell and hearing were increased by a little, and he heard a slight shift in the grass.

What happened next scared the living crap out of him even though he did not show it. The slight sound of a sharp intake of breath behind him alerted him to another presence right before the thing in front of him bounded at him from behind a tree. It was a huge dog, roughly four foot high but sturdy enough to hold a rider. The person behind him jumped at him at the same time, and Patrick reacted with a quick jump straight up that made the beast miss him. The person who attacked yelled, "Halt! State your name and your allegiance!"

Patrick landed gracefully on his feet with his right hand cocked back, ready to unleash a flurry of shuriken. His hair obscured his view for a moment, and he saw the faint outline of the person who was standing in a tree right above the huge dog. Patrick stayed relaxed, but in the position of being ready to throw. "My name is…" Patrick paused for a moment and then remembered. "Patrick Frinizaki and my allegiance is to the Village Hidden in the leaves. My rank is Chunin…and my registration number is 0169." He then realized the origins of the two attackers, and possibly, who they were.

"Are you from the Inuzuka Clan?" He asked cautiously, and the ninja jumped down from the tree and next to his animal. His face was more adult, defining him as a teenager now, but it was unmistakably Kiba Inuzuka. Instead of his Jacket, he wore a silky soft looking brown tunic top and pants and the sleeves and cuffs of the pants were wide and loose. He wore a black ninja headband, black ninja sandal boots, and he had his reddish-purple, down-pointed triangle tattoos on his cheeks.

The young man noticed the Headband wrapped around Patrick's left arm, and noticed it was Leaf. "Yes. I am Kiba Inuzuka, Chunin to Konohagakure."

Patrick was content with the fact that he wouldn't be attacked now and re-holstered his throwing stars. He closed the holster with a snap, and bowed slightly to Kiba. Kiba returned the gesture, and petted his dog Akamaru. "Are you returning from a mission or from a travel?" Kiba asked, noticing the sleeping bag and large backpack.

Patrick took a step forward, and Akamaru shifted his weight, which caused Patrick to stop moving. Then, he remembered he had nothing to fear and he walked over to his bed. "Yes. I'm returning from one of my visits to the Village Hidden among the Stones. I am just now re-entering active duty today. All my days off were saved for this trip." Patrick said, remembering what he had written about his 'Naruto-self'.

Kiba nodded and gave a small grin. "Well, welcome back, Patrick Frinizaki. Now, if you'll excuse me I have to continue my patrol route."

Patrick nodded, and said, "It was a pleasure meeting you. Good luck with your patrol." He watched as Kiba grinned, his sharp canine teeth showing, and then jumped off into the trees, Akamaru following from the ground. Akamaru rushed past Patrick, and Patrick felt tingles running up his spine. He had just met a character from Naruto!

He quickly rolled up his sleeping bag and attached it to his backpack. Brandon wouldn't know how to find him, but Patrick knew how to find Brandon. He would be at the Hyuga compound, or he would come in from out-of-village anywhere between now and a couple of days. After all, he had wanted to be a kidnapped Hyuga.

"Oh, Crap!" Patrick said as he realized their mistakes, and especially his. He had told Brandon that he had wanted to be a Ninja like Rock Lee, a Taijutsu specialist. However, he had changed his view when he realized that he could be even more powerful than Lee. He was a Leaf Ninja, but one that was extremely efficient in the Doton, or earth style, Jutsu. He fought using a boxing-style of fighting, and he had an extremely large amount of Chakra, so he would have to wait around for Brandon to show up. He would know what Brandon looked like easily, even with the eyes of a Hyuga.

He hoisted his large black backpack onto his back, and grinned. He was Patrick Frinizaki, Leaf Village Ninja. He had always wondered what having Chakra was like, and now was his chance to find out. It was like a natural instinct. It was just…energy. He could draw on it if he wished to do so, and he did. He drew the energy from his body, and forced it down to his legs. He then shot off into the trees, jumping well over twenty feet into the air. He felt like he was on a roller coaster, and his stomach squirmed in his belly. He laughed, and landed on a thick tree branch.

Once again, on pure instinct, he used Chakra to adhere himself to the tree branch through the soles of his feet. He quickly looked around, using his knowledge to orient himself in the direction of Konoha's main gate. He took a deep breath, and with that breath, he completely became Patrick Frinizaki. He exhaled that deep breath, and shifted the backpack slightly. He spoke softly to himself, "Well, time to find Brandon. Look out, Konoha, here I come." And with that, he jumped off the tree branch and propelled himself with his chakra onto the next tree branch over twenty feet away. Timing the next expulsion of chakra perfectly, as soon as his feet touched the tree branch a mere two seconds after his first jump, he soared even farther and faster. He would reach Konoha and the Hyuga Compound in no time at all.

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Brandon Hyuga was in the corridor that led straight to the Raikage's office. His heart was beating, his adrenaline was rushing, and his anger was rocketing. He was angry with himself, angry that he was even doing this. He was a citizen of the Cloud, a Cloud ninja! He didn't need to sneak around! He could simply walk into the office and request the files!

But, a smaller part of him knew that there was no way that he would be allowed to see the files. They would make excuses, and then they would alert Hakashino. Brandon was standing a good twenty feet away from the Raikage's office door, and knew the only way to find out if he could even attempt to sneak a look at the office was by using his Byakugan.

He didn't even need to use hand-seals to activate his Byakugan. Using the Hand-seals helped with concentrating your Chakra into your eyes, but he could do it without the seals. He simply surged his chakra to his eyes, and he felt veins around his eyes start to swell and pop. He muttered, "Byakugan!" under his breath, activating his Bloodline Trait. His pupil-less eyes had cracks in the iris, forming a small circle in the center that made it seem like he had a pupil.

He saw everything around him, a full 360 degrees, but he focused his attention in front of him. His Byakugan rendered the wall transparent, and he was relieved to see the office was empty. He looked harder, searching for traps or alarms, and noticed there was none that his Byakugan could pick up. He then searched through the walls around him for signs of people coming. For now, he was safe.

He quickly walked up to the Raikage's office double swinging doors, and placed his hands on the light red wood. It was polished and smooth to the touch, and it helped calm his nerves. He felt the urge to sneak in, to complete his mission and read the files, but the Cloud Ninja side of him protested and fought back. '_This could be considered treason! You could get killed for this!' _It yelled.

But, he fought it and won. He suppressed the voice with his will, and he snuck into the office. It was dark, for it had no windows and the lamps were off, but he could see perfectly with his Byakugan. He immediately ran over to the wall on his right, where he could see the record files. He searched through the metal with his Byakugan and looked for the proper topics. He had to search through four metal 6' tall cabinets until he found the one with Ninja Records. He quickly searched through the alphabetically sorted files and searched for 'Hyuga'. He found them at the bottom of the cabinet, both names of Hakashino Hyuga and Brandon Hyuga.

He quickly opened the proper cabinet, not caring about the small squeaking noise that came from it, and took out both files. His hands shook, and he almost put the files back and ran away, but his curiosity had him by the throat now and it wouldn't let him go. Each file was two or three inches thick, filled with hundreds of papers. He opened his file first, and he felt adrenaline rush fresh though his veins. He scanned the papers, and felt a strange pressure behind his right eye. He muttered to himself as he read. "Brandon Hyuga…born May 17th..." He read twenty pages quickly, looking for anything indicating where he was born, who his mother and father was, and anything that might hint of any deception. He searched through his entire file, which was over two hundred pages, in a matter of ten minutes.

He growled, frustrated that his search had not led up to anything conclusive. He put back his file, and hesitantly looked at Hakashino's file. He opened it, and was immediately confronted with something that made his blood run cold. There was a red sheet of paper that had Hakashino's picture, a picture of a younger Hakashino, and black bold letters that were obviously from an 'S' Rank assassination mission.

"Hyuga Hakashino, Traitor to the Hyuga Main Branch. Wanted for Consorting and conspiring with the Nation of Cloud, Third Degree Murder of Two Hyuga Main Branch Members, and Kidnapping."

It was simple, but Brandon realized that there were bloodstains on the red paper. This had been stolen from the carrier years ago, so the bloodstain was faded, but Brandon immediately guessed that the carrier had tried and failed to kill Hakashino. He ground his teeth in frustration. His father was a traitor? A Murderer? A Kidnapper? This couldn't be!

He quickly flipped through papers, and tears ran freely from his eyes as he saw that his father had killed an adult man…and a woman. He had kidnapped a single male child of two years old, and had retreated into the land of Cloud. He had lived in Asylum with his newest 'leader', the Raikage. Brandon read of the deals and transactions that they had dealing with the boy. The boy was to be raised as Hakashino's son, but as a soldier ninja of the Cloud. He would, at the age of 17, become property of the Raikage. The boy was named Brandon Hyuga, and he was raised as a child to a murderer and traitor.

Brandon felt nauseous and almost vomited as he read his "father's" file. His vision swam and twisted as he placed the file back, and he closed the cabinet. He stood, swaying almost drunkenly, and wiped his eyes. His white bandages became wet as he wiped away the seemingly endless stream of tears, and he clutched at the medallion that weighed heavily around his neck. The medallion a murderer had given him. A symbol of strength.

Brandon felt his tears dry up as anger replaced his sadness. Determination steeled his heart and made the pain disappear. Hakashino said that he believed that Brandon was stronger than he was, and Brandon was going to prove Hakashino's belief correct. He was going to avenge his parents…and kill Hakashino. He clenched his fists, and reactivated his Byakugan, which had deactivated while he had started to cry. He walked out of the Raikage's office with a cold glare upon his face, and he walked down the halls to head to his house. He would wait for Hakashino…and when he got home, he would kill him with his bare hands.

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Patrick Frinizaki had checked in at the front gate with the two sentries, Izumo Kamizuki and Kotetsu Hagane, and they had informed the Hokage, Godaime Tsunade-sama, that he was back. He walked leisurely through town, headed slowly towards the Hyuga Compound. He grinned widely as he passed places like Ichiraku Ramen, the Hokage Monument, or the Ninja Academy. He didn't run into anyone he recognized, but didn't care. He was taking his time getting to the Hyuga compound, where he was sure he would find Brandon.

He was at the black wrought-iron gates that surrounded the Hyuga Mansion and the many surrounding buildings of the Hyuga compound, and stopped in front of the gate that opened to allow access to the Hyuga grounds. However, standing in front of him were two stern-faced Cadet Branch Member Guards, who wore pure black robes to match their long black hair. Their pale eyes and faces made them look quite intimidating, but Patrick managed to clear his throat to speak.

"Ahem…My name is Patrick Frinizaki, Leaf Village Chunin. I would like to request a meeting with someone." He said, and the Guards exchanged glances. One of them then pressed an intercom button attached to a stone pillar that held the gates in place.

He spoke in a deep but respectful voice. "This is Kigurame Hyuga, Gate guard. There is a Patrick Frinizaki here to request a meeting with someone."

He released the button, and then turned to Patrick. "What is that 'someone' named?" He asked.

Patrick grinned as he said, "Brandon Hyuga."

The guard stiffened, and the intercom crackled. "Whom does he wish to speak to?" Came a stern voice.

The guard stammered slightly as he replied. "B-Brandon Hyuga, Hiashi-sama."

Patrick's eyebrows rose as he heard the name 'Hiashi'. The man was Hinata Hyuga's father, a stern leader and one not to be trifled with. There was a minute's worth of silence before the intercom crackled to life again. "Allow him in." The voice sounded weary, resigned, but curious.

The guard nodded, and then indicated for Patrick to enter through the gate. The guards pushed the black iron gates open, and Patrick walked through. There was a long dirt path that led to the buildings that surround Hyuga Manor, which made the Hyuga Compound seem like a miniature village. He jogged up the path, aware that he was supposed to hurry. He hoped Brandon was here.

It took him a few minutes to reach the Hyuga Compound, but when he did he saw Cadet and Main Branch members in white robes and Kimonos staring at him as he jogged by. He felt embarrassed and out of place, but he continued on his way to the tall mansion. It took him another three minutes to reach the mansion, but when he was in sight of the mansion, he saw five people standing at the entrance. As he drew closer, he could begin to distinguish their looks, and was surprised at what he saw.

Hiashi was there, as expected, but there were two females with him and two Older Hyuga's. Hinata, her long indigo blue hair fluttering slightly in the wind, stood on her father's left and her younger sister Hanabi was on her father's right. They both wore white Kimonos, and the stern face and black hair of Hanabi matched her father's while Hinata's face was kind and gentle with her dark blue hair giving her the look of mercy. The two older Hyuga's were standing on Hinata's left, obviously Hyuga Council members. One was an older blond-haired woman who seemed just as stern as Hiashi, but she grey streaks in her hair. Her hair came down in a long ponytail that extended almost to the floor. The other was a man who had Dark brown hair that was spiked, but had platinum grey streaks in it. He had wrinkles around his eyes, but other than that he seemed younger than he was.

Patrick finally made it up the twenty steps of the Manor, and up in front of Hiashi and the rest of the Hyuga's. He bowed deeply, showing his respect to every single Hyuga. When he straightened, Hiashi inclined his head, as did every Hyuga. Hiashi spoke first, his deep but stern voice reigning in Patrick's attention.

"I am Hiashi; these are my daughters Hanabi and Hinata, and two council members Jinasha and Jyoren. Please, walk with us." His request was an order, one that Patrick followed as they walked back down the stairs, and then they began to walk around the right side of the Mansion. There, on the right side of the mansion, was a large garden that seemed as large as the Mansion. It had walking paths and benches placed strategically and for scenic effect, and a couple of Hyuga's were sitting down on the white stone benches. The garden was composed of pink, red, orange, purple, green, and white flowers along with willow trees. They walked in silence until they reached the entrance of the garden.

A Hyuga walked towards them, a stern gaze resting on Patrick, and he immediately recognized him. Hiashi paused, as did the rest of them, as the Hyuga strode quickly up to them. His face became passive as he stopped three feet away from the group. He bowed deeply and said, "Hiashi-sama. I beg your pardon for interrupting." His voice was deeper, his face was narrower and more matured, and he wore a white kimono as well. His dark brown hair wasn't pulled into any hairstyle, but was free from any bonds and fluttered gently in the wind. Hiashi inclined his head to Neji slightly, hardly at all, and replied, "What do you require, Neji?"

He straightened and drew close to Hiashi. He whispered something, and then drew back, obviously nervous about what he just said or asked. Hiashi cast a quick glance at Patrick, and then said, "He is here…to request a meeting with a boy. You may join us if you are so concerned. This may very well benefit you as well, hearing what I have to say."

Patrick felt a little angry that Neji was suspicious, but then again Neji wasn't very nice to begin with. Neji nodded, and Patrick saw Hinata stiffen as Neji fell into pace beside Patrick, who was behind the main group as they all began walking. Neji didn't even give Patrick a look, and Patrick resisted the urge to inflict bodily harm on the insolent Hyuga. Hiashi spoke suddenly, as they reached the entrance of the garden. "Here we are protected from eavesdroppers, so we may speak as freely as we need. I am curious, Patrick Frinizaki…where did you hear the name Brandon Hyuga? That is a name that has not been spoken in fourteen or so years."

He didn't look back at Patrick, but Hinata did. She was curious, and Neji even glanced at Patrick as he spoke. "Well, Hiashi-sama…I don't really know how to explain it other than I thought that I had met him before."

Hiashi stiffened, and stopped. "We should sit." He indicated to two wooden benches across from each other, wide enough to fit them all without any discomfort. Patrick sat on one, and was accompanied by Hinata and Neji. Hanabi, Hiashi, Jinasha, and Jyoren all sat on the other one. The morning sun rested gently on each of them, but it didn't' generate an uncomfortable heat. The scent of exotic flowers permeated everything around them, but Patrick detected a scent of lilacs and lavender from Hinata. He quickly drew his attention to Hiashi, before he further embarrassed himself.

"This information has been classified, but seeing as you already know the name…tell me what else you know." He ordered.

"Hiashi-sama, I don't know that much of anything. I am searching for him, because I thought that he was here. If he isn't here yet…then he will be soon. I'm sorry if I interrupted and disturbed your morning with my pestering. I would like to request though, that I be notified when he shows up if it's alright." He said this hurriedly, because he hadn't paid any attention to Brandon's papers. He didn't know anything about Brandon other than he was a Hyuga.

Hiashi barked harshly as Patrick tried to stand, "Sit down." Patrick obeyed, and Hiashi sighed. He rubbed his temples, and said softly. "I apologize. This subject is a very trying one. It will be impossible to inform you of when he comes, because it's impossible for him to do so." Hiashi said.

Patrick was confused. "What?" He asked.

Hiashi gazed at Patrick, and with something like a final judgment of doom, he said, "You see, Brandon Hyuga is dead." Patrick stopped breathing for a second, and then asked, "What?" Despair was clear in his voice, and he felt disbelief at the announcement. How could Brandon have died?

Hiashi repeated himself. "Brandon Hyuga is dead. He's been dead for fourteen years."

So, that's chapter two! Chapter 3 is comin' and it will have the fight scene between Hakashino and Brandon. This wasn't much of a cliffy, but oh well. Review please!


	3. Chapter 3: Past Tragedy

Dimension Switch…ENTER NARUTO!

DISCLAIMER: I still don't own Naruto…bummer.  But, I do own Brandon and Patrick! I also own anything I mark inside of a set of asterisks like this: Cheesy Jutsu! ;-)

BTW: A/N stands for Author's Note!

CHAPTER 3: Past Tragedy

Previously on Dimension Switch…ENTER NARUTO!:

Hiashi barked harshly as Patrick tried to stand, "Sit down." Patrick obeyed, and Hiashi sighed. He rubbed his temples, and said softly. "I apologize. This subject is a very trying one. It will be impossible to inform you of when he comes, because it's impossible for him to do so." Hiashi said.

Patrick was confused. "What?" He asked.

Hiashi gazed at Patrick, and with something like a final judgment of doom, he said, "You see, Brandon Hyuga is dead." Patrick stopped breathing for a second, and then asked, "What?" Despair was clear in his voice, and he felt disbelief at the announcement. How could Brandon have died?

Hiashi repeated himself. "Brandon Hyuga is dead. He's been dead for fourteen years."

And now, the continuation:

Patrick caught the amount of years mentioned, and relief flooded through him. "Fourteen years?" He asked, hope coming to him like a ray of sunlight in a dark cave.

"Yes. If you would like, I will explain. I don't know how…but you seem to be attached to him." Hiashi said, for once showing concern through his stern visage.

"Yes, please explain. Please." Patrick asked, and Hiashi nodded. He gestured to the two Hyuga Council members and began to speak.

"These are relatives of Brandon Hyuga's. They are his Aunt and Uncle, both from different sides of the family. His mother was Jyoren's sister and his father was Jinasha's brother. Now…let me tell you how everything began.

"Sixteen years ago, the Hyuga Clan was starting to splinter. The Main Branch Families were starting to become aggressive and non-negotiative. We stopped communicating, but one man figured out how to bring us together. The Families quite simply wanted a show of strong leadership and decisions on the Council's part, and Jinasha's brother and Jyoren's sister figured out how. They were two influential council members such as I am…and they were married. They conceived a child, and they decided that since their sides of the family and my sides of the family were at each other's throat that we could fix the rift that was opening.

"My daughter, Hinata, was born after the boy, but my Wife knew she was pregnant. We promised our children would be married when they reached the age of 16, in order to give the families something in common to not fight about. That did it, and the families celebrated the union. But…two years later at the peak of our families unions, Ceil and Hagane Hyuga, Brandon Hyuga's parents…were murdered. From what we gathered, they were walking down the main street when a man known as Hakashino came up to them, and killed them both in front of their two-year-old son. It was at night, but one man witnessed the attack." Hiashi stopped, and Patrick listened carefully.

Neji and Hinata had both gasped when they heard that Brandon's parents were murdered on the main street, but Patrick remained silent. When Hiashi stopped, Neji spoke. "What happened, Hiashi-sama?"

Hiashi looked not at Neji, not at Patrick, but at Hinata. "The man said that Ceil and Hagane both put up a fight, and they were some of the strongest Hyuga on the Council. They even surpassed my skill at the time. However, Hakashino employed lightning techniques and killed both of the parents in a single blow. The only way we recognized who they were when we found them on the street…was because the young man who witnessed the fight. They were burned and mutilated beyond recognition. We found no sign of the boy, and immediately called up the Anbu and the fastest and best trackers we had. We tracked them to the border of Konoha…but then somehow they managed to teleport. We don't know where…but the only nation who has ever tried to capture the Byakugan is the Village hidden in the Clouds. We assume that Brandon Hyuga died…because that's what the Raikage would do. He would find out how to power the Byakugan…and then kill both the boy and Hakashino. So, we assumed that the boy is dead seeing as in the past fourteen years there have been no threats from the Land of Lightning."

Everyone except the adults paled when they heard what Hakashino had done…and Patrick almost hurled when he heard what had happened to Brandon's parents. He spoke shakily, but knew that since it had happened fourteen years ago and he was here _now_…Brandon was alive. "Hiashi-sama, thank you for telling me this…but I am not convinced that Brandon Hyuga is dead. Something tells me he is alive. What if I told you…that Brandon will show up in a couple of days?" He was afraid to say this, but he knew that Brandon would show up in at least three days. Brandon would make a point to come back that fast, especially if there was a certain Hyuga girl he was promised to.

Hiashi's eyes widened, and his back straightened even more. The two other council members gasped, and Hiashi stammered, "W-What? How do you know this?"

Patrick stood, strength flowing through his body. "Well, I don't know how to say it. It's like…I know him. I would stake my life that in two to three days he will be here. You said yourself…I seem attached to him."

Hiashi whispered, "Yes. But…where will he come from?"

Patrick thought about it for a moment, and then smiled. He looked at Hinata, and then Neji, and then Hiashi. "Well, obviously from the straightest course from the Land of Lightning to Konoha. You might set up a welcoming group for him since you have so much notice now, anyway. If you say that he's in the land of Lightning…he might be pursued by Cloud Ninja and he might be wounded."

Hiashi's gaze became hard. "You…what are you? How do you know this?" He asked.

"I know this because I'm his friend. I think you could say that we're…linked." Patrick said, overdoing it. He knew that if Brandon realized that they weren't going to arrive in Naruto's world together, then he would stay on the easiest paths to Konoha in case Patrick came looking for him. He figured that they were linked anyway, seeing as they were both best friends, so he wasn't really lying.

Hiashi stood, and said, "You said that you would stake your life on this?" He asked. Patrick stood, and bowed.

"Yes. If you wish, I will stay here, as insurance. If he doesn't come, then you can have me killed." Patrick said, cocky. He didn't think that Hiashi would actually take him up on the deal.

"Fine. You will stay, under light guard for your protection as well as ours. Neji and one more man will guard you." Hiashi motioned for Neji to stand. Patrick felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, and he realized how stupid he was. Especially when Hiashi said, "Neji…show Patrick to his room and make sure he's comfortable. But, don't let your guard down."

Neji bowed, and motioned for Patrick to follow him to the Mansion. His voice was hard, but respectful. "Come this way, please. I'll show you to your quarters." Patrick sighed as he realized what he had just done, and bowed respectfully to the Hyuga Council members and to Hinata.

"Thank you for the wonderful conversation, and I hope that you find Brandon quickly." He said, and followed Neji towards the tall white mansion. _Oh, Brandon I hope you get here quick._ He thought.

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Brandon was sitting on the couch as the evening sun started to go down, waiting for his kidnapper to come home. He could have run away but as soon as Hakashino got home and noticed he was missing, he would have Anbu find him. He was fast, but he wouldn't be able to outrun Anbu. So, he decided he would kill Hakashino in the house, where no one would be able to find Hakashino until a day or so after his death. By then, Brandon would be gone long and far enough that not even Anbu could catch him.

He was startled out of his reverie when his father, or more precisely his kidnapper, walked in the door. There was a soft smile on his face, and Brandon couldn't help but smile back. He realized that this man _was_ his father, and that he loved him. But, he would still have to be taken care of. Brandon quickly made a modification of his plan, and decided that he would make sure that Hakashino was incapacitated for a full day. He wouldn't kill him.

"Father…welcome home." He said, smiling. He stood, and his father shut the door behind him. Brandon walked over to him, and when his father was about to hug him, he asked a question that made Hakashino freeze.

"So…who were my parents?" He asked.

Hakashino's arms went stiff, and his smile froze. He lowered his arms, and his smile disappeared into a sad look. "So you know?" He asked, and Brandon felt sorry for the man. He wouldn't let his guard down, but he would talk to him.

"I know that you killed my parents, betrayed Konoha, and kidnapped me. I know very little, but I know that I no longer need to stay here. I know that I have to go home, to Konoha. And…I know that I love you still." He said sadly, and Hakashino bowed his head slightly.

"I see. It was the dreams that triggered memories, wasn't it?" Hakashino asked.

Brandon nodded. "Yes. Especially the dream of Hinata. She is what triggered the main memory. Then I raided the Raikage's office and found our files. Then I found out who you really were." He said, and Hakashino looked at him with a pained expression.

"I haven't changed, Brandon. I'm still the man I've always been. I'm still…your father." He said, and Brandon could see the small shine that indicated tears were in Hakashino's eyes.

"Yes, you are my father. You've taken care of me…and you've always helped me and loved me. But, I have to go back. I have to find my aunts…my uncles…and Hinata. If you promise me that you won't tell them that I've gone, then I won't fight you. But, if you resist, then I'll have to fight you. Or, even better, you could come back with me." Brandon said, hopeful.

Hakashino sighed. "I want to go back, Brandon. I do, but I am a traitor. I would be killed, or I would be tortured. I love you and I want you to go…but you can't. If you leave, I will die. They will torture me and kill me, and find out how to use the Byakugan and make others have it. Either way, I will die. I can't let you leave." He was sad, and Brandon saw a tear run down Hakashino's face.

Brandon's eyes watered, and he felt the tears start to well up. "Then…I will have to kill you so they can't torture you. I don't want to, but I will do what I must to be able to leave." He let a single tear roll down his face, and then he wiped it away.

Hakashino inhaled a deep breath. "As much as this will hurt me…I will have to hurt you. If you won't stay of your own free will, then I'll have to force you." He locked gazes with Brandon and said, "I want you to know that I love you."

Brandon almost began to cry, but he held his emotions in check. "I love you too. I wish I could leave you alive…but you would die anyway. I'm sorry." He said, and then at the same time, Hakashino and Brandon activated their Byakugan.

Their eyes glared, and their stances suddenly shifted into the Juken style. Tears flowed from Brandon's eyes, and he saw Hakashino's tears as well. They both stayed like that, neither wanting to strike first. Brandon finally decided to take the first move, to show that he was truly willing to do anything in order to go home…back to Konoha.

He struck out, already releasing Chakra from his hand as he started to target the vital areas of Hakashino's body. He could see the many pathways of chakra, the Inner Coils system. He could also see the Chakra Points, the Tenkutsu, which he could target and stop the flow of Hakashino's chakra so Brandon wouldn't be injured.

Hakashino moved fast, blocking the strike of Brandon's Juken, and targeting Brandon's Tenkutsu. Both of them could see the Tenkutsu, which was a rare ability that only advanced and strong Byakugan users could see. Brandon moved his arm slightly so that Hakashino's counter blow missed the Tenkutsu in his arms, and then he immediately struck out and tried to perform the Master Stroke that would hit and stop Hakashino's heart.

Hakashino dodged, just barely, and managed to shut one of the Tenkutsu within Brandon's left arm. Brandon felt no pain, but knew that his left hand wasn't important. His main arm was his right arm, so he would be fine. They continued to strike at each other, neither giving ground, but both pushing as hard as they could. They fought silently, the only sound was their movement and the _whoosh_ as their blue chakra was shot out of their palms.

They each searched for a flaw in each other's strikes, and in twenty minutes of tiring combat they found none. They had their own unique attack strikes, but each were skilled enough to block even the sneakiest of blows. Brandon knew his father's moves, and knew that there was no move other than the Juken that he could use in this small space unless he wanted to alert the neighbors and then they would both be distracted. They wanted to finish this personal fight themselves, without interruption.

However, Brandon had a unique Jutsu that he had invented and created himself. He was starting to get tired, and the amount of Chakra he was using was depleting his store of Chakra fast. He had to have enough Chakra to flee, and he had to flee tonight. He didn't want to kill his father, but he had no choice. They both stepped away from each other, panting and sweating.

"Father…this is your only chance. Come with me, or let me go. I don't want to have to kill you." He panted out, and he saw his father struggling. His Byakugan interpreted the movements that his eyes and body made. He loved Brandon, and regretted this fight. But, he loved life and he didn't want to die. He was still young, and he had many years to live. But, in any other situation he would give his life for his son. Just not this one. He would continue to fight.

Brandon shed one last tear, and his father knew that he had understood. "Father…forgive me." Brandon said, and then quickly initiated two hand-seals. _Ram, Hare!_ He thought as his hands performed the seals.

His Chakra released, and his skin tingled as his Jutsu came into existence. He spoke the title, for his father's benefit. "Gentle Fist Fusion: Art of the Lightning Fist!" He said, and his father was visibly surprised.

He charged his father, his skin still tingling, and struck at his father using the Juken style of fighting. However, in a surprise move, he didn't release his chakra. His father saw this too late as he blocked a Master Stroke move, and as soon as his right hand blocked Brandon's right hand and his left hand blocked Brandon's left hand, both limbs went numb.

Hakashino asked in disbelief, "What?"

Brandon stepped away for a moment, and explained. "My squad-mate Kyle knew a move where his entire body became charged with electric power. Anyone who touches him, depending on the amount of power he uses, either gets a slight buzz or can even die. So I fused that move with Juken, the Gentle Fist, and made Raiken, the Lightning Fist style. Right now, I am only outputting enough power to numb your limbs."

His father's eyes widened in shock, and Brandon attacked again. His father tried to move his limbs fast enough, but the buzz of electricity and the shock of the new move slowed him down. Brandon hit his biceps and then his legs. His father fell to the ground, shock still on his face. Brandon stopped the assault, and since his father was no longer in fighting condition, wept freely.

He cried, and the tears spilled down his face like a river. His father's face changed from shock to sympathy, and then he said, "Brandon. You're stronger than I could ever have hoped. I'm proud of you, but I still stand by my decision. If you hold out too long and I regain feeling, I will continue to fight." He said this with a loving tone, as if he finally resigned himself to death.

Brandon wept, unable to say anything at the moment. He slowly walked forward and managed to say, "Father…I have to kill you…but I'm going to make it without pain. It will be instantaneous."

His father's eyes weren't sad, or even afraid. "Show me." He said, pride showing. He was proud of his son, proud of his resolve and strength. Brandon nodded at the command and held his hand down in front of him similar to the move 'Chidori'.

His Byakugan deactivated, because he wouldn't need it for this move. "Father…I love you." He said.

His father grinned slightly and said, "I love you too. By the way…Hinata was supposed to be your wife. I wish that things could be different, but they can't. Go home and be happy."

Brandon nodded, numb on the inside. He half-yelled, "Raiken: Obliteration of the Inner Body!" His hand glowed pure white, and then he plunged his hand down, and touched his father's chest. Immediately, his father gave a small twitch, and died. The Lightning energy in Brandon's body destroyed every organ in his father's body instantly, killing his father painlessly.

His father's face was smiling, even though he was dead, and Brandon felt nauseated. He had killed a total of five people in his life, but they had been enemies. This was his sixth person…and he was his father. Brandon stood, numb and devoid of emotion. His task was complete, and now he could leave. He closed his father's eyes, walked to the front door, and grabbed a backpack that was hidden beside the door. He hoisted the black backpack onto his back and then opened the door. He walked out, shut the door behind him, and didn't look back.

He walked down the sparsely populated street in a casual walk. However, the reality of his situation hit him with full force, and he started to jog. He then started to sprint, and then he started at a dead run. He poured Chakra into his feet and released each spurt as he jumped onto a rooftop, and then jumped from rooftop to rooftop to avoid drawing too much attention. He ran, towards Konoha, towards his home, and away from his past.

He headed towards the city wall, which wasn't that far away from him, and prepared to scale it as quickly as possible. The wall was well over 100 feet high, and it was just as thick. It was almost completely dark now, and it was the perfect time for him to escape. As soon as he reached the last house roof, he shot a tremendous amount of Chakra out of his feet so that he crossed the gap of 50 feet that was empty street between the house and the city wall. He twisted in the air so that the first thing that hit the wall, was his feet. As soon as his feet touched the hard wall, he applied a small amount of chakra that allowed him to scale the wall and stick to it like a frog. He ran, defying gravity, straight up the wall. He had jumped high enough that all he had to do was run fifty feet up the wall, and then he would be out of the city.

He ran, sweat beginning to form on his brow, and quickly reached into his pocket. He pulled out one out of twenty soldier pills that he had packed, pills that would give him an energy and a Chakra boost gradually and would help relax him.

He crunched down on the pill, and immediately felt the energy and chakra pour into him, along with waves of relaxation. He grinned, and his speed increased. He shot straight up the wall so fast that he was sure that only an Anbu could catch up with him, and then when he reached the thick top of the wall, he shot himself forward, over the 100-foot thick wall and into the forest that surrounded it. He grinned because he was on his way home, and nothing could stop him.

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Patrick was in a room under guard, but he was extremely comfortable. He was in a room at the top floor of the mansion, one that had no windows but it had a nice light in the center of the roof for light. He had a comfortable bed, a pure white bed, and the soft cream carpet on the floor felt good on his bare feet. The walls were a soft yellow color, and there were no decorations or anything in the room other than Patrick, the light, the bed, and his shoes. Patrick had given his backpack and shuriken holsters to Neji, who had actually been quite nice to him now that he was disarmed.

Patrick was bored, since he had been in the room the entire day, and he had had no visitors. However, a sound reached his ears through the thick door light brown wood door that he was facing. The sound of voices speaking quietly reached his ears, and he thought he recognized who had initiated the conversation. It sounded like Hinata Hyuga.

The door opened, swinging towards Patrick who backed off a little bit to allow it to open. It turned out that Patrick was right, because in walked Hinata Hyuga. She seemed nervous but she firmly told Neji, who was watching her with stern eyes, "I'll be fine, Neji-niichan. You can watch if you wish, but I'm perfectly able to defend myself if he wishes to harm me which I don't think he does." Her voice was a bit deeper and seductive than it had been two years earlier, Patrick noted.

Neji nodded, and shut the door behind Hinata. Hinata was no longer wearing a Kimono, but wore her traditional Ninja outfit. She wore a white hoody jacket with fur along the bottom of it as a lining. Her sleeves, starting at her shoulders, were an indigo blue that matched her hair and she wore loose blue fabric pants that ended at mid-calf. She wore the navy blue ninja sandal boots still, and Patrick couldn't help but think that all this blue was a bit overbearing. However, she smiled softly, and his thoughts went away except for one. Why could she be here to talk to him?

Patrick smiled back kindly and bowed slightly. "Hinata…is it alright if I just call you Hinata?" He asked, knowing that taking that kind of formality without asking could end up dangerous for him.

"Yes, I-it's fine." She replied. They both stood awkwardly, and Patrick finally took action when it seemed that Hinata would not.

"Um, would you like to sit down? There's not much, but you may sit on the bed if you like." He said, motioning to the plain bed. Hinata nodded, still smiling softly. "That would be nice, thank you." She said, and sat down on the foot of the bed.

Patrick didn't sit, but stood and watched her. She kept her gaze averted, and Patrick almost laughed. This was _so_ Hinata-like! The only thing missing now was her nervous fidget where she would continually poke her index fingers together. He finally broke the silence after a minute of waiting.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?" He asked, almost mockingly.

"I…I wanted to know more about your friend." She said, and her face immediately turned a light shade of red.

Patrick raised his right eyebrow and said, "Oh. I can't tell you much of anything other than his basic personality. I don't know any of his moves, any of his skills, and I hardly know what he looks like. I know I sounded crazy earlier, but him and I know each other from a previous life."

Hinata's eyes widened as he said 'previous life'. "What? You two were close in a previous life?" She asked, clearly amazed that he retained knowledge of his previous life.

"Yes. We were best friends, and we did a lot of stuff together." He said, and he knew the question that was coming.

Hinata opened her mouth to ask, but Patrick beat her to it. "What was he like?" He asked, and she nodded nervously. He grinned and slowly walked over to her. He sat next to her, breathing in the scent of lavender and lilacs. "He could be obnoxious at times. He would tease me almost non-stop about the stupidest things. But…he like just about everything I did. He can be stubborn, but he can also be sensitive. He was surprising. He switched his moods from tough, to impress us, to being totally carefree and stupid, so people would underestimate him. But, he's a guy who has many sides and it would be impossible to describe him completely. But one thing's for sure…he would give his life for his friends. His friends and dreams mean everything to him, and he protects them with all he has."

They were quiet, and Hinata asked another question. "W-what is his stance…" She stopped, and bowed her head so that Patrick couldn't see her face because her long indigo hair got in the way. _Geez Brandon. You just had to make her infatuated with you…but then again Tenten will be infatuated with me. Hehe!_ He thought.

"What's his stance on what?" He asked, gently prodding.

She gulped audibly, and then whispered, "What does he prefer…in a girl?"

Patrick did his best not to laugh, but he failed. He laughed for a few seconds, a soft laughter of amusement. Hinata kept her face bowed, and Patrick asked, "Hinata…you don't even know him! Why are you so worried about what he prefers? Aren't you still obsessed with Naruto?"

Hinata looked up at Patrick, a mixed look of anger and sadness in her eyes. "I gave up on Naruto when he came back. Naruto…he…he loves Sakura still. He always will, and I've moved on. I wanted to know about this boy, seeing as my father still intends for me to marry him once he gets back! My father says that if I don't marry him then the clan will splinter! So, I am forced to marry a young man who you claim is _your _friend and I want to know more about him so I know enough of him to be at least a little less uncomfortable around him when we marry!" She said this softly, but the touch of fiery anger in her voice made Patrick stop laughing.

"What? Your father wants to make you marry him?" He asked in disbelief.

Hinata lowered her gaze from Patrick and nodded. "Yes. He believes that it would also show that we haven't forgotten his parents, and that we still care about the families." She said, and Patrick felt sorry for her.

"Brandon won't let you be forced to marry him, even though I'm sure he would be glad to have someone like you as a wife. He doesn't believe in that kind of thing, forcing a girl to marry against her will if she isn't in love. Besides…to answer your question, I never really talked to him that much about anything serious like girls. We never seemed to be comfortable about it." He said, shifting his weight nervously.

Hinata simply said, "Oh." But there was a disappointment in her voice that made Patrick sorry he couldn't answer her question. But, he figured he could at least help her feel better.

"Even though I don't know his preferences…I have no doubt in my mind that he'll like you. He always seemed to like the girls who seemed shy and then turned out to be real fighters when it came to anything serious. I guess the only thing I can say is that if you are like him in the fact that you'll protect anything and everything you love with all of your being, then you'll get along just fine with him." He said.

Hinata looked at him and whispered, "Do you really know he'll come back?" She asked.

Patrick nodded, giving her a smile more confident than he really felt. "Absolutely. Why else would I offer to have you guys kill me if I'm wrong?" He said.

She smiled. "I don't think that they would, even if you were wrong. It wouldn't be right, and it wouldn't solve anything. But, thank you for your time." She said, and turned to leave. The door opened before she got to it, indicating that Neji had been watching through the wall with his Byakugan. She walked out of the room, and right before Neji could close the door, Patrick said her name. "Hinata…" He said, and paused as he watched her turn to him.

"Yes?" She asked. Her hands were clasped in front of her, and she seemed sad.

"I can tell you that Brandon loves to see people smile. Just be yourself around him, and he'll appreciate you all the more." He said, and was surprised at what he said. As she smiled and turned away, the door closing behind her, Patrick mentally berated himself.

'_All the more? What Kind of phrase is that? Geez, I sound like a nerd._' He thought, and then walked over to the bed. He threw himself down onto it, and lay there, looking at the ceiling. He closed his eyes, content to just wait and sleep. Brandon would get here and then everything would be better. They would get everything straightened out, cleared up, and then they would have fun in this cool world.

'_Brandon, you better hurry up and get here. If you don't, I'm gonna really hurt you'_ He thought darkly. As he drifted slowly back into sleep, he thought of the perfect way to greet Brandon when he got here. He would surprise attack him and then fight him to show him his strength. Brandon would be impressed, they would have some meaningless violence, and then everything would be better.

He chuckled amusedly as that thought hit him, and sank slowly into the blissful dark of sleep.

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Brandon's breath was coming in short, erratic bursts and sweat was pouring down his body. His vision was blurring, and his legs were starting to become jelly. His adrenaline had kicked in overtime, overloading his senses and making his body weak for a minute or two. The reason his adrenaline kicked in, was because he knew that he was being followed. Whoever was following him, was good at it.

They stopped precisely when he stopped, and they blended in perfectly with the darkness. Even though the moon was full, it couldn't break through the thick branches. He was relying heavily on his Byakugan, and he didn't know _how_ this person was able to follow him! It was almost pitch black! He felt angry and frustrated at this person, and for a moment wondered if he was just paranoid.

Then, he looked behind him while he was jumping, and his Byakugan picked up the person. Brandon couldn't tell much about this person other than they were an adult male. They were wearing all black, and Brandon assumed that it was an advanced scout meant to keep tabs on him and make a trail for the Anbu to follow so they wouldn't lose that much time and would be able to get to him faster.

If he stopped and engaged the man, then he could take care of the problem of him being tracked so easily. But, if he stopped he might waste more time than necessary since he didn't know what his enemy was capable of. He ground his teeth in frustration as he landed and jumped again, hurtling through the air.

'_How? How could they know that Hakashino is dead already? How could they have found out?_' He thought, his temper rising.

He ran for twenty more minutes before deciding he didn't have to personally take care of the man. As soon as his feet connected with the next tree branch, he jumped down onto the ground twenty or so feet below him. He then quickly initiated a Jutsu, "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" He said, and two clones appeared.

He gave them their orders, and then ran once more. He jumped into the tree branches again, and resumed his flight. He quickly popped in another soldier pill, and bit into it. The energy and chakra flowed through him once more, and he shot towards his destination even faster. He had to get there…he had to! No matter what the cost, he had to make it to Konoha's borders! There would be patrols, and he would be safe if he could find them. He had to travel for a day and a half at the pace he was going, but he had to find a way to get there faster.

As Brandon rushed on, his two Shadow clones hid at the base of two trees. They waited for a minute before they heard the man who was following Brandon jump overhead through the tree branches, and then quickly jumped into the trees. Their pale Byakugan eyes met, and they knew exactly what to do. The man was less than ten feet in front of them, so they simply shot a large amount of Chakra that propelled them up to the unsuspecting man. They each grabbed an arm, and the man reacted with surprising quickness. They quickly recognized the uniform of the man, and his rank. The man was an elite tracking Anbu, someone who patrolled the surrounding forest and looked for anything suspicious.

The man fought back, simply chopping the shadow clone on the right in the throat and made the clone disappear in a puff of white smoke. The left one knew he had to alert his real self before he was taken out. So, he yelled, "It's an elite Anbu Border Patroller!" And then, the man's kunai knife struck him in the chest and made him detonate.

Up ahead, Brandon heard the shout, and panic flooded him. An Anbu Border Patroller! They were known to be resilient and strong, and they had to be in order to protect the borders from strange foreign threats. They were deadly, to be blunt.

He knew he had to get Konoha, no matter what the cost. He quickly whipped out a shuriken throwing star and haphazardly flung it behind him, and then quickly pulled out his kunai and then pulled out an exploding tag and quickly wrapped it around the handle of his kunai. He then threw it behind him, and picked up his pace even more.

He heard his kunai embed itself in a tree, and then he waited for four seconds. He then placed his hands together in the seal of the tiger as he continued to jump, and focused his Chakra on the note. It was a special note that would only explode once he yelled the release word. He yelled it, and he hoped he could time his note just right. He was trying to create quick distraction so he could run even faster and hopefully damage the man a little.

He yelled, "Katsu!" (A/N: Katsu is a word for concentration. It is pronounces as: 'Kah-ts' The 'u' is silent.) and suddenly, the woods were lit up by an explosion. A flash of orange lit the woods, and then he heard a cry of surprise from his follower. He grinned, and immediately ran for all he was worth. He wouldn't stop, and he would make it to Konoha even sooner than he planned. He might have to consume a deadly amount of Soldier Pills, but he would make it to Konoha in less than a day and a half. If his attacker didn't kill him before then.

That's the end of Chappy 3! So, review and tell m e what you think! If you have any suggestions on improving the writing or action sequences or whatever, write to me about it, and review!

FR1


	4. Chapter 4: Race against Time!

Dimension Switch…ENTER NARUTO!

DISCLAIMER: I still do not own Naruto…bummer.  However, I do own Brandon and Patrick! I also own anything I mark inside of a set of asterisks like this: Cheesy Jutsu! ;-)

A/N: Remember the break lines that indicate changes of perspective, time, and time and perspective at once. So, have fun reading my story! And thanks for reading it. I know that most people don't usually leave reviews, but reviewing gives me a fresh fire to keep writing. If it's not too much I ask that you review. It can be flames, or encouragement! Please, just review!

CHAPTER 4: Race against time!

PREVIOUSLY ON DIMENSION SWITCH…ENTER NARUTO!:

He yelled, "Katsu!" and suddenly, an explosion lighted up the woods. A flash of orange lit the woods, and then he heard a cry of surprise from his follower. He grinned, and immediately ran for all he was worth. He wouldn't stop, and he would make it to Konoha even sooner than he planned. He might have to consume a deadly amount of Soldier Pills, but he would make it to Konoha in less than a day and a half. If his attacker didn't kill him before then.

And now the continuation:

Patrick woke, snapping his eyes open and sitting up quickly. His top lip was drawn back in a silent snarl and his eyebrows were furrowed together in anger. He then realized where he was. He wasn't in the woods, running from an Anbu, and he wasn't fleeing for his life. His anger dissipated, and his facial expression went from anger to surprise. He realized now that it wasn't just a dream. It was more like…a vision.

He groaned, and said, "Oh crap! Come on! Journey…giving me visions. Come on, come on, and come on!" He was frustrated, as always, whenever he was waking up. But, he knew Journey had given him the vision. He didn't know how he knew, but he just did. Man…if only he could have slept some more.

He stood, and walked over to the door groggily. However, it was opened before he could knock, and he found himself looking into the pale grey eyes of Neji Hyuga. He looked peaceful and rested, and Patrick assumed he had taken shifts so he would be ready to guard Patrick. "Yes?" He asked, stern and formal as always.

_Geez, pull the stick out from your behind and act like a real person._ He thought, still not happy at being woken up. Sure, Brandon's life was in danger, but he was sooooo tired. "Uh, I need to speak to Hiashi. It's a matter of Brandon's life."

Neji nodded, shut the door, and then Patrick was left with nothing to do but wait as he stared at the door. Man, he hated mornings.

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Brandon's eyes were wide open from pills of adrenaline and the ever-constant energy provider of Soldier Pills. It was around 9:00 in the morning, he guessed. He had the sun at his back, and was pleased with the beauty of the forest. It was magnificent, and he would have stopped and taken a break if he wasn't being pursued by that Anbu. The Anbu was fast, and Brandon could see him clearly now, but he was obviously a new recruit.

Brandon was still running full tilt, and his chest hurt, but he guessed that the man was just as tired. The man was way behind him, since Brandon's note had knocked him unconscious, but Brandon could still see him with his Byakugan. He was at least a mile or two behind and would stay that way. He was most likely concussed and dazed, but Brandon couldn't risk fighting him. He had to keep running.

He had already taken four soldier pills, and knew he shouldn't take more since it boosted his Chakra well above the norm but he desperately needed to make it to Konoha. He had memorized routes to all the villages already, as a prerequisite to a mission, and he was taking the most obvious route to Konoha. He didn't know why, but a small voice kept saying, _Get to Konoha, find Patrick, stay in the open for him to find you, and you'll be fine!_

He shook his head, and hastily wrapped more kunai in exploding notes. He had left a trail, and occasionally he would blow up one or two notes to keep the trailing Anbu on his feet. He almost nailed the man once, but the pursuer was getting more and more aware. Brandon was almost out of tricks.

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Patrick was wide-awake, seeing as it had taken ten minutes for Hiashi to come to talk to him, and was sitting in front of Hiashi. Hiashi looked tired, and he had explained that he had over six Hyuga patrols searching the borders and waiting for signs of anyone and last night he had spoken with the Hokage Tsunade. His face was hardened though, obviously expecting some kind of farce from Patrick to let Patrick go and save Brandon from something.

Patrick surprised him as he spoke of his dream, and although he wasn't a good public speaker and all that good with detail, he provided enough detail to convince Hiashi it was indeed a vision. It took over twenty minutes though. "So…you need to go along the straightest and most direct way to the land of Lightning. You have to find Brandon…please." He pleaded. Ever since he _really_ woke up and the gravity of his vision had weighed on him, he was sorry he had even complained. Brandon's life was on the line, and he had to help save him.

Hiashi nodded, and immediately talked to the two sentries who were in the room with him and Neji. "Go, immediately. I'll talk to the Hokage, who I'm sure won't argue with this. Take five men and go immediately. Take only what you need!" He ordered, and the two sentries immediately ran out of the room.

"Patrick…while I would like to send you to search for Brandon…" He started to say, but Patrick cut him off.

"I know, I know. I'm keeping my word and I'm staying here, no matter how much I want to help. Just make sure he comes back safe. I'm not sure he can outrun an Anbu…" Patrick said, thinking about how fast Anbu could go. It was not an encouraging thought.

Hiashi nodded, and he and Neji left the room. Patrick started pacing immediately and groaned. "Man oh man! Come on! Hurry, hurry!" He groaned, running his hands through his hair. He jumped, literally and figuratively, when his door opened suddenly.

In strode Hinata Hyuga, with her eyebrows drawn together in concern. She was wearing a light blue Kimono this time, and she looked wide-awake and groomed, unlike Patrick. "What's wrong?" She asked, and quickly shut the door behind her. She had obviously just seen her father rush down the hallway. Neji tried to come in, but she yelled at him without even looking at him. "Neji! Leave me alone!" She was obviously not happy.

Patrick stuttered, unsure of how much to tell her. "I…Uh…I had a vision?" He said uncertainly. It was more of a question, and he regretted saying it as he did. He sounded like a wimp.

Hinata didn't seem to catch it. "What do you mean? What was it about?" She asked, not being her timid self at all.

"Brandon's in danger. Last night, he ran away from Village Hidden in the Clouds. He was being trailed by an Anbu, and he's emotionally drained so that's not helping and the fact that he's determined to get here regardless of the shape he's in. He has over twenty or so soldier pills and enhancers in his pockets and in his backpacks. He could be seriously messed up if he takes them all to get here. He's on the most direct route here from the Hidden Cloud Village, and your father is sending people to retrieve him." He said. It wasn't as good as he said to her father, but it was essentially the same thing.

Hinata bit her lip, and looked at the floor. "I see. So he's that desperate to get here?" She asked.

"Yes. I don't know why he's taking stupid risks, though. I think he could pretty much take the Anbu out, if he thought about it hard enough." He said, and Hinata clasped her hands in front of her. "Will you come with me?" She asked, looking at him.

Patrick did a double take. "What? Where are you going?" He asked, confused.

"I'm going to take my squad-mates Kiba and Shino and go help retrieve him. Will you come?" She asked again.

Patrick shook his head. He wanted to, but he said that he would stay here. "I told your father that I would keep my word and stay here no matter how badly I wanted to help. If I broke my promise, what kind of person would I be?" He said, and shrugged.

Hinata frowned, and then said, "Very well. I understand. Thank you." She then turned, and walked towards the door.

"Wait! Your father already sent five or so men. You don't have to go." He said.

She cast a smiling glance over her shoulder. "I don't have to, but I would like to. I want to make sure that he gets what he's so desperate to have." She said, and walked out the door.

Patrick sighed, and went over to his bed and sat down. All he could do is wait. He wanted to help, but he couldn't. Then, an Idea struck Patrick. "HECK YEAH!" He yelled, jumping off the bed. He ran over to the door, and Neji opened the door. "What do you need?" He asked.

"Get Hinata, hurry." He said, and Neji nodded. He quickly shut the door, and then maybe half a minute later, Hinata barged into the room. She looked a bit flustered, but Patrick didn't notice.

"What? What's wrong?" She asked.

"I found out a way I can go with you! Well, I won't really be with you, but I can send two Shadow Clones with you. That way, they can serve as distractions for you if you meet any difficulties anyway!" He said, grinning proudly.

Hinata thought for a moment, and then smiled. "That sounds good, Patrick. Will you initiate them now?" She asked.

He shook his head. "I need my backpack. That way when I initiate my shadow Clones, they will have all the tools they need." He said, and as if on cue, Neji came in with his backpack.

"Here." Was all he said. '_Yeesh, not very talkative.'_ Patrick thought.

Patrick took it, and then put it on. "Okay! Here we go! Shadow Clone Jutsu!" He yelled, and put his hands together in the sign of the tiger.

Suddenly, a puff of smoke enveloped him, and when the small smoke cleared there were three barefoot Patrick's with backpacks. He grinned, and then noticed the shoeless clones. He sighed and said, "Oh well. If you want to reach Brandon as fast as possible, just go get ready. They don't need shoes anyway." He took off his backpack, and Hinata was suppressing a giggle. He reminded her of Naruto.

She took his backpack, handed it to Neji, and then left the room with the two Shadow clones. Patrick locked gazes with Neji and stared at him as Hinata and the Shadow Clones left. Neji only looked away for a brief second to take Patrick's backpack and lay it down on the outside of the doorway. He then looked at Patrick, and Patrick stood there fuming.

Finally, after near a half-minute of staring, Patrick could not take it anymore. "WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM WITH ME!?" Yelled Patrick.

Neji didn't even flinch, and still stood there watching Patrick. His gaze was cold, expressionless, and it made Patrick angrier. "Do you want to fight me or something?" Patrick asked, seething. His teeth were clenched, and he felt ready to beat the living crap out of the Hyuga boy.

Finally, Neji spoke. "I wouldn't want to waste my time with someone like you. You may be a Chunin…but I doubt you would last very long against even a weaker Hyuga." He said this without emotion, and Patrick felt ready to beat the crap out of him.

"Didn't you learn anything from fighting and losing to Naruto? Don't judge someone with a glance…and don't underestimate me." He said, quieting his tone. He was dead serious now…and completely ready to kick Neji's butt.

Neji actually gave a reaction. He blinked, surprised, and then said, "You know about all that? I didn't see you at the preliminary or actual matches of the Chunin Exams. Any of them."

Patrick grinned, showing his teeth. "I'm better than you think, Mr. 'High-and-Mighty' Hyuga." This remark caused Neji to stiffen, and then glare at Patrick.

"I suppose we can spar, seeing as you have been cooped up long enough. However…remember that you wanted this." He said, and Patrick had to resist the urge to insult him more. He was cold like ice, so Patrick wanted to call him 'Ice Princess'. Oh well.

Neji spun on his heel, bent down and picked up something, and then turned back to Patrick. He then tossed Patrick's black Ninja sandal boots to him, and waited as Patrick Hastily put them on. "Follow me, and don't try to escape." Neji said, as Patrick stood.

Patrick followed Neji down the wood-floored hallway, down a large white spiral staircase that could allow people to step off onto different floors, and after passing 5 stories, they reached the entrance hall of the Hyuga Mansion. It was wide, open, and wood-floored like almost the entire mansion, and Patrick resisted the urge to yell 'Hello' and try to hear his echo.

He followed Neji out the front door, shutting the beautiful door behind him. It was solid maple, but in the center of the door was a stain-glass window of the Hyuga Crest: a single tongue of flame. He was silent as he walked out in the morning sun, following the angry and silent Neji. They walked down the path to the Hyuga Compound Buildings, and four minutes later, they reached the small town-like grouping of buildings.

Neji walked down the main-street, and said, "We will fight in the Compound Center, where your folly will be seen by everyone and your humiliation will be complete."

Patrick growled, and decided that he _wouldn't_ hold back on this prick. This guy would taste Patrick's full power. Patrick stomped as he walked, making clouds of dust appear whenever his foot touched the ground, and realized that this terrain would work to his advantage. He was an Earth Element Ninja anyway, and this dirt was just as fine as Sand, so he could use every single move in his Arsenal. He grinned, and couldn't wait to show up Neji in front of the entire Hyuga Compound.

Finally, after a little bit of walking, they reached the bustling center of the Compound. Hyuga's watched, stared, and followed Patrick and Neji, as they stood in the center of the town, not moving. Neji spoke as they faced each other, not moving his eyes from Patrick's. "I, Neji Hyuga, challenge you to a duel!" He yelled, loud enough to be heard over the chatter from the people on the streets. It suddenly grew deadly quiet, and everyone froze.

Patrick grinned as he replied. "I, Patrick Frinizaki, accept!" He yelled just as loud as Neji, and Neji grinned.

"What limits?" Neji asked Patrick, speaking in his regular volume now.

Patrick grinned, completely sure of himself. "To the death or to the point of being unable to continue of course. What other way is there?" He asked, crossing his arms across his chest and showing his cockiness.

Neji was surprised, and visibly paled. "What? If I killed you, Hiashi-sama…" He trailed off, and then turned to the crowd. "Do I have all of you as witnesses to his declaration?" He asked, loudly, and wasn't disappointed as everyone acknowledged he did.

He nodded, still pale, and turned to Patrick. "Very well. I accept your limit." He was about to assume a fighting stance when Patrick held up a hand.

"Hold on. I don't have my shuriken holster. I think it would be fair if you took off yours." He said, and Neji smirked.

"Very well." He replied, and unclipped his Holsters from his right thigh. He then threw them away, and Patrick just realized something that made him chuckle. He and Neji were wearing just about he same outfit. The only difference was Patrick's black trim on his suit. He grinned, and then said, "Okay then, Mr. Neji. Shall we have someone in the crowd tell us when to begin?"

Neji nodded, and then assumed his traditional fighting stance of Juken when someone stepped forward. They seemed hesitant as they said, "Ready…set…" They paused, noting that Patrick had not moved from his pose of having his arms crossed. The nervous Hyuga waited for an extra moment, and then sighed. "Very well. Go!" He yelled this, and jumped backwards out of the way of the combatants.

Neji yelled one word, a word that usually caused terror to spring up into the heart of the opponent he was facing. "Byakugan!" He yelled, and was surprised when he saw no reaction from Patrick at all. Patrick simply stood there grinning, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Well? Are you done posturing and posing or are you going to sit there all day?" Asked Patrick.

Neji glared at Patrick, and quickly examined his opponent. He could see the Inner Coils system, and he was shocked at what he saw. Patrick Frinizaki's Inner Chakra Pathways were large…not quite as large as Naruto's (whose coils were massive) but were still about as big as a Jonin's. This boy possessed an extremely large amount of Chakra.

Patrick nodded, knowing that Neji noticed the size of his Chakra Pathways. "So you finally noticed, huh?"

Neji asked, confused, "How can your Inner Coils be so large? That amount of Chakra is almost inhuman for someone your age. Your coils shouldn't be developed that far yet."

Patrick shrugged casually and said, "You know, it's due to a lot of training. Constant Chakra control and growth exercises every day helped me…and eating my green veggies." He joked around, only to help keep Neji distracted. He was reviewing in his mind all of the techniques that Neji had, and he was coming up with possible countermeasures for each technique.

'_Heavenly Palm rotations, the 8 trigrams, Hakke Kushou: Air palm, um…the obvious attacks on the Tenkutsu and Inner coils, and even his Master Stroke. He'll want to end our fight quick, so I have to watch out for any Taijutsu attacks where he uses his fingers or his palms. I also have to watch out for his Rotation…if he tries to use it when I attack, I have to punch through hard when I first sense it otherwise I won't be able to get through. He starts using his chakra in the spin and it's weak at first, and if I can hit it right I can punch through before it gets too strong and can do damage to me.' _He thought.

The veins around Neji's eyes stood out strongly, and Patrick almost reacted to the sight of Neji like that. He looked scary, but it wasn't anything Patrick couldn't handle. "Whatever you do…you won't be able to beat me. It's destiny." Said Patrick, almost directly quoting Neji. Neji knew what he was doing, and scowled.

"Just bring it." He said, but Patrick didn't move. He grinned and shook his head. "Do you think that I'd be so stupid as to rush in and be taken out by your Heavenly Rotation _(Hakke Shou Kaiten)_?" He asked, and new he had guessed right because Neji gave a small grin.

"So…you know about that, and a large number of Hyuga attacks I'm guessing." He said, and Patrick nodded. "And I know nothing of yours. Therefore, either you were blowing smoke and posturing, or you actually have a plan to beat me. Interesting." He said, and Patrick inclined his head slightly in a nod.

Neji shrugged, still in the Juken stance. "Fine. I guess I'll have to initiate the attacks." He said, and with that, he rushed forward. His speed was incredible, and Patrick immediately slipped both of his hands towards his face in the Boxer Style defense position. It was inferior most of the time to the Juken, just like every other style, but when employed correctly it could even take out a trained Hyuga. Patrick just hoped he could employ it correctly against the Genius Hyuga Neji.

Neji immediately struck at Patrick, seeming to aim for his chest, but Patrick figured he would immediately try to close down his Chakra points. He was right when Neji's left hand subtly moved as if to withdraw back to the body, and tried to poke at the inside of Patrick's arms. Patrick swatted away Neji's thrusting right palm, making sure that his palm and fingers didn't make contact, and then did the same with Neji's other hand which left Neji open. Patrick immediately performed a quick left-right-jab-uppercut combination, and succeeded in landing the left-right jabs on the Hyuga's chin. He stumbled back in time to avoid the uppercut, but by only a slim margin.

Neji stopped his assault and wiped a small trickle of blood from his mouth, and then spit some out of his mouth. "I didn't expect you to take up the Boxer Style…surprising but easily overcome." He said, but Patrick quickly grinned and replied.

"Only if you can actually touch me." He jeered, and then in a flurry of hand signs too quick for anyone to really see, he yelled, "Doton (Earth Style): Earth Rising Wall!"

He then shot mud from his mouth, quickly creating a barrier over 50 yards high between him and Neji. He then prepared another Jutsu, fully expecting Neji as Neji broke through the barrier with a yell of, "8 Trigrams: Air Palm!"

The Mud wall, which had hardened the instant it had been set, broke apart and the pieces mostly shot towards Patrick, but he initiated his Jutsu as Neji appeared in front of him with his palm drew backwards and ready to strike. "Katon (Fire Style): Fire Dragon Flame Blast!" He yelled, and shot a large flame at Neji. The flame took the shape of a dragon as it smashed into Neji, throwing him backwards and destroying the incoming pieces of hard mud.

Neji yelled in pain and shock from the large stream of fire, and went flying backwards some twenty yards. He landed on his back, and tumbled backwards through the dirt until he rolled to a stop. Patrick waited until he slowly rose to his feet, and then mocked him. "It's futile, no matter what you do." He said, this time directly quoting Neji.

Neji did not look very good now, with his white tunic top burned, blackened, and dirtied and his skin slightly darkened and dirtied as well. Patrick could tell that the quote angered Neji considerably, and then thought about whether it had been wise or not to mock him.

Neji attacked again, this time crossing the gap in less than a second and a half. Patrick brought up his guard, startled at the speed, but was too slow as Neji struck out and successfully closed off several of his Tenkutsu within his chest. Patrick backed away, but Neji followed like a devil, thrusting and stabbing with his fingers. Patrick winced in pain as Neji struck near his heart, and then managed to jump backwards out of Neji's range. Neji glared at Patrick, and Patrick suddenly threw up, spraying blood on the dusty ground. The dirt thickened into a reddish mud, and Neji sneered. "It's destiny." He simply said.

Patrick straightened, wiped blood from his mouth, and roared. "Doton: Earth Armor!" He quickly flew through Hand Seals, and Neji rushed at him again. However, Neji was too late as layers of dirt and the ground suddenly flew up and attached themselves to Patrick's body. Neji struck out with his right palm flat, and struck out at Patrick's heart using his Master Stroke. His strike would have stopped Patrick's heart, but the wrapping around Patrick's body absorbed the Chakra, and Neji was surprised when Patrick simply lashed out with a hard rock and dirt coated fist. Neji flew backwards as Patrick struck him between the eyes, and he fell to the ground.

Neji quickly flipped back up onto his feet, and asked disbelievingly, "What? My Master Stroke should have killed you…"

Patrick allowed his Jutsu to complete itself, and then his armor cleared away and melded to his body so that only his head was showing and it looked like he was wearing a brown skin suit. It looked almost like he was naked, but the dirt simply clung to his general form and remained surprisingly modest. His dirt armor stopped at his neck, and Patrick grinned. "My own unique technique. I draw the earth to my body, using my chakra to create it to absorb other Chakra based attacks. It's hard but flexible, similar to steel but much, much lighter. Now, your Juken attacks will be useless." He explained, and Neji scowled.

"Now…Doton: Earth Raging Wave!" He yelled, and flew through yet another set of hand seals. He then punched the ground, and shot chakra into the ground. The ground in front of him exploded towards Neji, and Neji jumped over it with relative ease. However, Patrick simply wanted Neji distracted for a moment while he initiated yet another set of hand seals.

'_Boar, Ram, Tiger, Boar, Dragon, Boar!'_ He thought as his hands reacted accordingly, and then he yelled, "Doton: Earth Sword Technique!"

Suddenly, the dirt swirled up from the ground and then swirled around Patrick's hand. Neji landed from his jump, and then immediately rushed Patrick in hopes of disrupting Patrick's Jutsu. However, right as he was about to punch Patrick in the face, Patrick extended his right hand, the one enveloped in dirt. A sword was formed out of the dirt, and hardened in Patrick's hand. It shot forward, and solidified a mere inch from Neji's right eye. Neji stopped immediately, and then performed a sweep Kick. The kick missed as Patrick jumped up, and then Neji stood and yelled, "8 Trigrams: Air Palm!" He thrust his right hand; fingers curled slightly, and shot air and Chakra out. His armor absorbed the Chakra, but the wind was not absorbed and Patrick went sailing backwards, breath knocked out of him as if a sledgehammer had just hit him.

He flew back a good fifty feet, before he landed on his feet and skidded to a stop. Neji continued his attack, jumping at him to land a flying kick on Patrick's head, but Patrick slashed at him with his sword. His sword looked dull, unable to cut anything, but the side doing the slashing sharpened in reaction to Patrick's will and slashed a shallow cut across Neji's right leg. Neji landed, rolled to a stand, and then lashed out at Patrick's head again with a Juken fist. It most likely would have killed Patrick, but Patrick brought up his defense in boxer style again and Neji's fist hit Patrick's forearm.

Patrick then lashed out at Neji's chin, but realized his mistake. His fist stopped a mere inch from Neji's face, and then Patrick felt a strange vibration through his entire body. "Large Heavenly Rotation!" Neji yelled, and Patrick's eyes got wide. He froze up, unable to move, and cursed himself for not breaking through the thin Chakra wall. He had been too unsure of what was happening, and now he would pay the price.

Suddenly, Patrick's armor started to shake, and crumble as the vibration picked up. Then, Patrick found himself flung through the air, and realized what was happening. Neji must have been studying the armor while they fought, and realized that his Chakra absorbing armor could only absorb a limited amount of Chakra and he decided that his Large Heavenly Rotation would overload it and render it useless. Patrick went flying into the air, a good twenty feet, and felt his armor fall off him completely and his sword break to pieces. He landed with a thud, and tried to stand. He wasn't fast enough because Neji appeared in front of him, right hand drawn back to strike Patrick's vital organs. Neji struck, and Patrick reacted in pure instinct. He fell backwards, making the Juken Master Stroke miss, and lashed out with his right leg. Patrick felt his leg make contact…right between Neji's legs.

Neji sputtered and coughed, and fell to his knees. His Byakugan deactivated, and he went cross-eyed from the pain. Patrick rolled away, and then quickly jumped to a stand. Neji tried to stand, shakily, and managed to slip into the Juken position. Patrick, however, had the perfect idea. He quickly grabbed a smoke bomb from his pocket, and then threw at right at his feet. It exploded, unleashing clouds of smoke, and Patrick grinned. Normally, the Byakugan would be able to see through the smoke but with Neji's weakened and dazed state Patrick would be able to use his distraction to its fullest.

Patrick initiated a few hand seals, and then grinned as he disappeared underground, leaving no traces. Patrick could tell from the vibrations underground that Neji had run into the clearing smoke and tried to find him. Patrick leapt up, his hand reaching up through the ground and grabbing Neji's right ankle. Neji gave out a cry of surprise and Patrick pulled him down into the ground up to his neck. Patrick then jumped out of the ground, and stood triumphantly in front of a glaring Neji.

Patrick grinned, but his grin faltered when Neji grinned. "Heavenly Palm Rotation!" Neji yelled, and Patrick immediately punched down at Neji. However, his fist met a weak wall of Chakra. Patrick then punched with all his strength with his left hand, and broke through the Chakra wall. Neji's eyes registered surprise right before Patrick's fist punched him right between the eyes and knocked him unconscious.

Neji's head slumped forward, chin resting on the dusty ground, and Patrick breathed out a sigh of relief. However, his relief was short-lived as he fell to his knees and spit up a small amount of blood. The crowd around Neji and Patrick started to move, and Patrick wiped the blood away from his mouth and asked, "Will someone help me carry him to the Mansion?"

The man who had initiated the match walked forward and Patrick realized he was a member of the Cadet Branch. Patrick stood wearily, and together he and the Hyuga pulled Neji from the ground. Neji's body was covered in brown dust and dirt, and he was surprisingly heavy. Patrick and the man supported Neji between them, and carried him up the path to the Mansion.

Patrick and the man were almost to the front step of the mansion, as Neji started to slowly stir, when Patrick suddenly fell forward. He landed on his hands and knees, and threw up even more blood. The dirt path soaked up the blood almost immediately, but it was a large reddish brown stain still. The man groaned under the strain of holding Neji alone, but quickly shifted and then threw Neji up over his shoulder.

He was non-descript, just another long but dark haired Hyuga, but he seemed genuinely concerned. He activated his Byakugan, and then deactivated it. "You need to have a medic attend to you immediately. I don't know how you managed to fight with the amount of Tenkutsu he shut in your chest. A number of your organs are struggling from lack of blood flow and oxygen."

As if on cue Shino, Kiba and Hinata all stepped out of the front door of the Mansion. Kiba no longer wore his hoody, but instead he wore a 'gi' type uniform that was a brownish color, and Akamaru rounded the corner of the mansion, apparently having been waiting for Kiba. Kiba looked mostly the same, but he now had a black Chunin Headband over his forehead. Shino on the other hand had a light grey shroud that served as a hood over his head, revealing now only his upper face. His white jacket in his Genin days was replaced by a black one, and his knee-length shorts were black. He was an intimidating man now, but Hinata kept her appearance basically the same as she used to. All that changed was the fact that her Jacket had blue sleeves now.

It took a moment for everyone to register that Neji was unconscious over the other man's back, and then Hinata realized who it was on the ground in front of them throwing up blood. "Patrick?" She asked, and immediately ran down the steps to help him up. Shino didn't move, but simply adjusted his circular black sunglasses. Kiba ran forward and helped though, grabbing Neji from the man and thanking him.

Hinata supported Patrick on her shoulder, and sighed. "You've battled Neji? You goaded him into a battle, didn't you?"

Patrick nodded. "Kinda. He just kept staring and staring at me when you left. So I got angry and I challenged him to a fight. We sparred in the middle of the compound and I won…but it seems he jacked me up badly."

Hinata activated her Byakugan, looked at Patrick, and then sighed. "I will have to treat you for this. Shino, Kiba, will you help me?"

Patrick removed himself from Hinata's shoulder, and shook his head. "No. I know how strong you guys are. If anyone can find Brandon, it would be you."

Hinata sighed, and she shook her head. "No. You need medical attention. Neji did this same thing to me, only on a larger scale. You're nowhere as bad as I was, but you need attention now. We can make up time later."

Shino spoke, his voice deeper than in his Genin days, "I'll start out ahead and leave a trail for you to follow. Don't be too long." He said, and then he disappeared as he jumped away.

Kiba growled as he shifted Neji, and then said, "I suggest we get this taken care of quickly, Hinata. We need to move quickly if what this guys said is true about the guy being pursued by an ANBU."

Hinata nodded, and then grabbed Patrick by the arm and helped him up the stairs. Kiba followed with the still unconscious Neji over his shoulders. Hinata sighed again and said, "My father won't be too happy about this."

Patrick shrugged and said, "Yeah, but I was getting bored. Not to mention, Neji was the one who agreed to duel me. Don't waste too much time on me, Hinata. My body heals quickly."

Hinata didn't say anything, she just opened the door and helped him inside. Kiba chuckled as he shut the door behind him and said, "You know, every time Neji's been beaten…I've enjoyed it. Even now, even though I don't really know you. You busted him up good."

Patrick grinned, and replied, "Yeah. His rotation was a problem, but I broke through it and knocked him out. I've never been so content in winning against such a jerk before."

Kiba just laughed, and shifted the unfortunate youth on his shoulders a bit more.

---------------

Brandon had actually succeeded in knocking out the ANBU who was trailing him. He had placed a ring of exploding kunai, and then the man had accidentally stepped into it. Brandon had then blown it up and succeeded in knocking his enemy out. That was two hours ago, and Brandon had taken a short nap to reenergize himself.

He was up now, and he quickly shouldered his pack once more. He felt ready to travel the rest of the way without any rests, and he quickly initiated his Byakugan to check everything out around him.

He couldn't tell if he was being pursued yet, because he couldn't see anyone in the range of his Byakugan. But, he could tell that for some reason he had crossed more ground than the had initially thought. A boulder that looked like it had a carved face on it was very close, and it was a landmark that showed he was halfway to the Konoha border.

He didn't know what was going on, but he was going faster than he should normally be able to travel. '_Maybe it was all those pills and adrenaline shots.'_ He thought.

He shifted his backpack to get it in a more comfortable position, and then scaled a tree quickly. He had to keep his momentum up, and maybe he would get to Konoha faster than he anticipated. He quickly jumped off his leading branch, and shot chakra from his feet. Now he just had to get to Konoha border before the ANBU regained consciousness and chased him again. The man would be furious, and quite ready to kill.

Brandon kept his Byakugan active and jumped from tree to tree, making sure to lay traps as he went. Just in case. He had to make sure to make it to Konoha before the word got out on him, or he was as good as dead.

Okay, that's chapter FOUR! Chapter Five will be up soon. I hope you guys enjoyed the story, and I would appreciate it if you guys left reviews! Thanks!


	5. Chapter 5:Destiny's Touch!

Dimension Switch…ENTER NARUTO!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own the 'Naruverse'. I do not own Naruto, or anyone! That sux….oh burnt poptart! I own Patrick, Brandon, Journey, and any moves or places I mark inside a set of asterisks.

Chapter 5: Destiny's Touch!

A/N: This chapter, in the beginning, will be going by fast. I will be skipping through each person's view until everyone meets up at Konoha's Border. And, thanks for reading! I would appreciate some reviews!

PREVIOUSLY ON DIMENSION SWITCH…ENTER NARUTO!:

Brandon: He shifted his backpack to get it in a more comfortable position, and then scaled a tree quickly. He had to keep his momentum up, and maybe he would get to Konoha faster than he anticipated. He quickly jumped off his leading branch, and shot chakra from his feet. Now he just had to get to Konoha border before the ANBU regained consciousness and chased him again. The man would be furious, and quite ready to kill.

Brandon kept his Byakugan active and jumped from tree to tree, making sure to lay traps as he went. Just in case. He had to make sure to make it to Konoha before the word got out on him, or he was as good as dead.

Patrick: Kiba growled as he shifted Neji, and then said, "I suggest we get this taken care of quickly, Hinata. We need to move quickly if what this guys said is true about the guy being pursued by an ANBU."

Hinata nodded, and then grabbed Patrick by the arm and helped him up the stairs. Kiba followed with the still unconscious Neji over his shoulders. Hinata sighed again and said, "My father won't be too happy about this."

Continuation:

Patrick was lying on his back, shirt off, hands clasped behind his head. He was on the bed in his 'room' where he was being treated as a 'guest'. It had been almost one whole day since Hinata had treated him for his internal injuries. Hinata had only taken up to twenty minutes of healing techniques, applying a chakra-coated hand on his chest and carefully repairing his internal organs.

However, Hiashi had been summoned as soon as Kiba had given Neji to the Physicians in the Hyuga Mansion. Hiashi had been angry and had berated Neji first, and then Patrick. Neji was no longer standing guard over Patrick, but Patrick was now restricted to having only Hiashi, an Elder, or Hinata come into his room.

He was nervous, and he was sure that if someone with Byakugan looked at him, they would be able to tell why easily. He wasn't entirely sure how Brandon was doing or where he was, but today was his second day being confined, and he didn't like it.

Patrick began to wish he had an X-box or maybe just a Gameboy Advance he was so bored and nervous. Anything to take his mind off his predicament.

'_I wonder where Hinata is. I wonder how Shino, Kiba and Hinata are?'_ He thought, letting his mind wander. The only thing he could do is wonder and wait.

-----------------

Brandon Hyuga was no longer tired at all, and even if he hadn't just taken the shot, adrenaline was rushing through his body. He was almost to the border, but somehow there was a fresh ANBU on his trail. And he was close. Close enough to cause Brandon to sweat, and keep a constant eye on him.

The man had appeared late in the night, practically morning, launching through the air faster than Brandon would have liked to believe possible. However, he had to hold out…he had to hold out for just another hour or so. In an hour, he would be at the Konoha border, and he would hopefully be greeted by Patrick. Then…together they would take out the ANBU and then they could resume their life as Ninja in the world of Naruto.

Brandon quickly glanced backwards, a couple miles back, and saw the ANBU. His Bird-mask was painted white and red, and the symbol of lightning was etched on the mask's forehead. The ANBU was no longer hiding, and instead was focusing on going as fast as possible. He would catch up to Brandon soon, within forty-five minutes at the most.

'_Crap…not good.' _Brandon thought, and forced more Chakra through his feet and jumped a longer distance. He had to make it. He had to!

-----------------

Hinata Hyuga was using her Byakugan, scouting ahead quickly, desperately looking for any signs of Brandon. Shino stood calmly on her left, and Kiba and Akamaru stood directly to her right. Akamaru had used the Transformation Art (_Henge_) and looked like he had when he was a young puppy. He was panting patiently on the branch next to Kiba, waiting like his master and Shino for Hinata.

Hinata released the seal of the Ram that she had been holding, and the veins surrounding her eyes disappeared. Her pale lavender eyes resumed their blank state, and she sighed. Shino was silent, but Kiba asked, "So?"

Hinata shook her head, disappointed. "Nothing yet. Either he's taking a different route, or he's not in my range yet."

Kiba shrugged, and then Shino adjusted his glasses. "We should move a bit past the border. Maybe a mile, just to be safe."

Hinata nodded, as did Kiba, and Akamaru barked his agreement. The fate of a man, a fellow Hyuga no less, was resting on their shoulders. She didn't want the boy to die before he made it home, after so many years of being away. Life shouldn't be so cruel as to take him away before he glimpses and lives in his real home.

"Let's go then." She said, and together Team 8 jumped further off into the forest, towards the border.

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Several ANBU captains with their small three man squads rocketed around the border forest of Konoha, keeping vigilant for sign of this fleeing Hyuga. They were charged directly by Tsunade to make sure the boy made it home safely once he reached the border, or if he needed assistance a bit past the border…to help him.

One ANBU captain stopped, seeing Team 8 jump away into the deeper forest, and frowned behind his dog mask. He turned to his subordinates and said, "We'll let them go. Hinata Hyuga is with them, most likely on orders straight from Lord Hiashi. We'd better not interfere. But, let's keep an eye on them, just in case they need assistance."

His three men nodded, and together they jumped after Team 8.

-----------------

Brandon had increased his pace as much as possible, but the ANBU was gaining even faster than what should have been possible. He was only twenty minutes from the Konoha border…but the man was almost literally breathing down Brandon's neck.

"Stop! Stop and surrender, or I'll use force!" The man yelled, maybe twenty yards behind Brandon.

Brandon didn't need to look back, so he just yelled, "NO! I'm going home! Back to Konoha! I'll never go back! You'll have to kill me!"

He watched as the man withdrew his Katana, and then jumped towards Brandon. Brandon cursed, and stopped suddenly on his tree branch. The ANBU was on Brandon in less than a second, swinging his sword at Brandon's chest.

Brandon yelled, "Heavenly Spin _(Hakke Shou Kaiten)_!" right as the sword was about to cut a gash in his chest. The blade stopped a mere millimeter from Brandon, and then Brandon unleashed Chakra from every pore in his body and spun like a top.

The man had forgotten about the Hyuga technique, and went flying backwards, losing his sword. As soon as he stopped spinning, Brandon jumped once more towards the border of Konoha. The ANBU landed on a branch, and then jumped after Brandon once more.

Brandon landed on a thick tree branch and quickly slid into the Juken style as the ANBU rocketed towards him. Brandon struck at the hurtling figure, but somehow the man avoided the blow and struck out at Brandon with a punch. Brandon tried to initiate the _Kaiten_, but was surprised when the man punched through with his other hand and managed to clip Brandon in his jaw. Brandon fell backwards, stunned, and hurtled off the tree branch.

The ANBU followed him, pulling out six throwing stars, and then he threw the throwing stars at Brandon. Brandon managed to dodge two, but the other four stabbed into his right shoulder, right bicep, his right forearm and his right thigh. Brandon cried out in pain as the metal bit into his flesh, and desperately tried to land on his feet as the ground rapidly approached. However, the pain fogged his mind and he landed wrong on his right leg. He gasped as he felt pain course up his leg, and managed to slip into a defensive posture as the ANBU landed gently in front of him.

"This is your last chance to come back willingly." The ANBU said. Brandon examined the man quickly, hoping to see some kind of weakness. All he saw was a regular ANBU. The black pants and long sleeve shirt, the tan vest, the mask, the kunai holster, and the black Ninja Sandal boots.

Brandon bit his bottom lip, and then growled back, "No. I'm not done yet."

The ANBU chuckled and said, "Fine. Have it your way."

Brandon quickly slipped into the Juken style, and then assaulted the man. He struck immediately for the Tenkutsu, hoping that if he cut off his opponent's chakra, then the fight would be easily won.

However, the man dodged every blow, Brandon never managed to land a slight glancing hit. The Man moved faster than anything he had ever seen, not even bothering to block the blows. He just simply moved his body slightly away from the attack and made as little effort as possible.

Finally, Brandon decided to bring out one of the Hyuga trump cards. He jumped back a short distance away from the ANBU, and quickly assumed the stance for the eight Trigrams. He calculated the distance and grinned.

"This is over." He said, and then attacked. He put all his speed into his attacks, attacking with the _eight Trigrams: 128 Palm Attack_. He hit the ANBU full force, activating his Byakugan with the first strike, and he targeted precisely each and every Tenkutsu he needed to hit.

Brandon's fingers poked 128 Tenkutsu in less than five seconds, gently poking the ANBU. With the Chakra that Brandon expelled through his fingertips, he hit a number of internal organs, causing excruciating pain. The man cried out, and collapsed to his knees as Brandon finished his attack.

Brandon gritted his teeth as he pulled out the Shuriken that were embedded into his body, and then dropped the bloodied Ninja Tools to the ground. Suddenly, the man in front of him disappeared with a puff of smoke.

'_What? A Shadow Clone?_' He thought, and quickly used his Byakugan to search his surroundings. He didn't have to, as the ANBU was suddenly right in front of him. The ANBU attacked Brandon with a rapid series of high kicks and uppercut punches that caused him to spit up blood as he fell backwards onto the ground.

'_I'm done for. I can't hope to beat an ANBU. So this is it…I never even got to the border. Now I'll be tortured until they find how to power the Byakugan for their own uses. Then…I'll be killed.'_ He thought, and wearily tried to stand. He at least wouldn't go willingly. The man would have to knock him unconscious or kill him.

"Haven't you had enough punishment? Come on, stop being stupid. You have no chance to beat me." The ANBU said.

"Now, he's not alone!" Came a gruff voice from above them.

Brandon and the ANBU looked up, and Brandon wearily smiled as he saw who they were. Kiba Inuzuka with a Full-grown Akamaru, Hinata Hyuga with her Byakugan activated, Shino Aburame with his bugs already surrounding his arms in case he was threatened, and four Konoha ANBU were standing right above them.

"This is none of your concern. He is a traitor who tried to escape from the Village Hidden in the Clouds. Move along." The ANBU said.

All the Konoha ninja jumped down from the trees and landed between the ANBU and Brandon. Hinata spoke first. "First…this man is a Hyuga who was born in Konoha and was kidnapped. Second, you're in no place to make demands."

Brandon grinned, and wiped the blood away from his mouth. "Thank you all…I didn't think I was ever going to see Konoha."

The Cloud ANBU turned his back and said, "This will mean war." And he started to walk away.

Rayu quickly performed ten hand seals in rapid succession and put his hand down like he would for the Raiken. He yelled, "Not if you can't report this."

Brandon yelled out the name of his attack as a spear made of pure white lightning suddenly formed in his hand. "Raiton: Thunder-god Divine Spear!"

The Konoha Ninja in front of him moved aside as he extended the spear as a challenge to the ANBU. The ANBU was now facing him, shaking his head. "If you harm me…" He began.

He never finished. The Thunder-god Divine Spear was literally as fast as lightning, and it pierced straight into the Anbu's chest. He gasped, and tried to pull out the spear as he collapsed to his knees. The Konoha ninja all gasped at what just happened, and Brandon brought up his hand into the seal of the Ram. He was about to perform the secondary function of the Jutsu.

He pronounced one word, speaking softly with a tone of finality. "Katsu."

As soon as the word was out of his mouth, the spear exploded, immediately disintegrating the man into nothing but ash. The flash caused everyone but Brandon to look away, and when they looked again, nothing remained.

"Why did you do that?" The ANBU captain asked. "He was no threat to you any longer!"

Brandon shook his head. "He would have gone straight to the Hikage and told him of your interference, and then the Hikage could have started war between the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning. But…if no one reaches him, he can't just say, 'You guys have a Hyuga Ninja I stole from you years ago'. I did what was best." He said this without emotion, and he wearily untied the headband from his forehead. He was no longer a Ninja of the Cloud. He let it drop to the ground, and asked, "So you were expecting me? I was expecting a Ninja named Patrick."

Hinata smiled at him as her Byakugan deactivated. "Patrick is currently being treated as a guest at the Hyuga Mansion. He told us about you escaping from the Land of Lightning two days ago."

Brandon smiled back at her, deactivating his own Byakugan. He couldn't help but notice…she smelled like lilacs and lavender. She poked her index fingers together and asked, "How do you know Patrick? He said neither of you have really met."

Brandon thought about it for a moment, and then said, "Well, you could say we knew each other in a previous life."

Hinata nodded, then turned to the ANBU. "Let's get him to the Hyuga estate. I was told that the Hokage and my father would talk to him once he's there. Not to mention, he needs to have his wounds bandaged." She then turned to Brandon. "Do your wounds need to be treated now or can they wait until we get to the Hyuga estate?"

He grinned, excited. "I think I can wait until we get to the Hyuga estate. They're just a few Shuriken wounds, nothing serious."

Kiba laughed as he and Akamaru jumped into the trees with Shino, and the ANBU captain said, "Let's get you home then."

Brandon jumped into the trees with Hinata and the ANBU, and decided to stay close to Hinata. "Excuse me…you're Hinata, aren't you?" He asked, trying to be polite.

She nodded, and he grinned. "It's thanks to you that I even got the guts to try to look at my file. I dreamed about you a couple of nights ago on my birthday, and that unlocked a memory of you and your father as well as my father. So, it's all thanks to you that I'm even here. I would still think I was the son of a murderer…" His grin died as he thought about the last sentence, and he thought of Hakashino lying in the middle of the apartment.

Hinata was silent for a while before she stammered, "W-what happened to Hakashino?"

Brandon's jaw clenched and he felt his emotions rise. "I…I killed him. I originally planned to kill him as soon as he stepped in the door to our apartment, but then I realized that I still loved him as a father. So, I tried to convince him to come with me or let me go, but he wouldn't. We fought…and I killed him."

An ANBU behind him spoke up. "You killed an 'S' Rank criminal? You're what, a Chunin?"

Brandon nodded. "Yeah. The only reason I killed him is because it was nothing but a Juken match at first. But then I brought out a secret move I was working on…and I killed him. He wasn't expecting it, so he reacted too slowly."

Kiba spoke from up ahead of them, "So…what's with the medal around your neck?"

Tears ran from Brandon's eyes as Hinata explained for him. "It is the Hyuga Seal…one that is supposed to go to the strongest of each household. The father will present it to the child once the child has reached the parent's level or even surpassed it."

Brandon hastily wiped away his tears, and he nodded in agreement. He gripped the medal with his right hand, and gritted his teeth. He would miss Hakashino, but Hakashino had made his choice.

The ANBU captain spoke. "My troop and I will run ahead and inform the Hokage and Lord Hiashi of your successful return. Good luck, and welcome home." With that, the ANBU rocketed ahead of Team 8 and Brandon and disappeared within a few moments.

"Thank you…all of you. If you hadn't shown up..." He trailed off, thinking of what could have happened.

Kiba laughed. "Don't thank us. Hinata was the one who checked the route with her Byakugan every five minutes. She was pretty vigilant."

Shino nodded slightly, and Hinata blushed a little. Brandon turned his head and looked at Hinata as they continued to jump from tree to tree.

"In that case, thank you Hinata. I owe you my life." He said, and Hinata blushed a darker red.

"I-it was nothing. I-I just wanted for you to be able to come home safely." She said, and Brandon smiled.

"Well, just the same. Thank you." He replied.

-----------------

Patrick was napping for a few hours, until Hiashi came into his room. Patrick snapped awake and sat up, staring at the intimidating man. The only thing strange, was that Hiashi was smiling. It freaked Patrick out.

"Lord Hiashi…what is it?" Patrick said, remembering that Hiashi was indeed a lord of the Hyuga's.

Hiashi walked forward and bowed slightly to Patrick while saying, "Patrick, they have Brandon right now. They are currently on their way. You may have your things, and if you want, you can stay and wait for him with us. Tsunade will be here shortly to await his arrival as well."

It took a moment for the information to sink in, but when it did, Patrick jumped up off the bed. "YES!" He said, rapidly pumping his right arm up and down and extending his left arm in the 'rock-on' symbol.

Hiashi chuckled, and Patrick bowed quickly. "I would love to wait for him here." Patrick said, and Hiashi nodded.

"Very well then." He said, and then turned towards the door. "Neji! Bring in Patrick's things."

Neji opened the door, holding Patrick's backpack, shuriken holsters, and his sandals. Patrick regarded Neji coolly, and then bowed to Neji. "Thank you, and I apologize for loosing my cool yesterday. I was stupid." Patrick said, and Neji and Hiashi both had looks of surprise on their faces.

Neji bowed back and replied with actual gratitude in his voice. "No, it's I who should apologize. I had forgotten what Naruto had taught me, about judging others. I should have remembered."

Patrick nodded and then quickly put on his 'Gi' top. He then took his backpack and put it on, as well as his shuriken holsters and his sandals. Hiashi and Neji then walked out the door, indicating for Patrick to follow them. Patrick gladly did, and thought, _I can't wait to see him again! I wonder what he looks like?_

-----------------

Kiba and Shino had both declined Hinata's offer to come to the Hyuga compound, and had gone to do their own things, so Brandon and Hinata arrived at the main gate alone. It had been uncomfortable due to the silence, but once Brandon reached the main gate, he grinned.

The two cadet branch members bowed, and then pushed the intercom. "Yes?" Hiashi's voice asked, crackling over the intercom.

"Lady Hinata and one other are here." The guard said.

"Very well." Came the reply, and the guards immediately opened the gate.

Brandon walked past the gate with Hinata, and immediately swayed and almost fell over. Hinata caught him, concern etched on her features. "Are you alright?" She asked.

"I think I'm getting a bit lightheaded from the blood-loss. I didn't think I would be bleeding that badly." He admitted, and Hinata immediately made him sit on the dirt path.

She turned back to the guards and said, "One of you run up to the Mansion and let my father know that as soon as we arrive we'll need to treat his wounds."

The guard nodded and immediately started running up the path, leaving one guard to protect the entry. "Brandon, allow me to help carry you." Hinata said, but Brandon shook his head no.

"I can make it there. I'm fine." He said, reassuring her.

She nodded, and then helped him up. Her pale lavender eyes met with his, and then she quickly looked away. "We should go quickly then." She said, and Brandon nodded.

They walked up the path, Hinata staying ready in case Brandon were to lose his balance again. He was fine, even as he reached the main compound. Hyuga's lined the streets, staring wide-eyed at the boy who had been 'dead' for 14 years. No one noticed that blood dripped from Brandon's right arm onto the dirt, leaving a trail.

Brandon grinned as he saw so many pale-eyed Hyuga's, and he waved slightly with his bandage covered left arm. Whispers echoed down the street, so many that you couldn't understand them. But, Brandon knew they were whispering about him. Hinata gripped Brandon's arm as he swayed slightly as they exited the compound and said firmly, "I'm not going to let you go. You may say you're fine, but you're going to need to rest soon."

Brandon nodded as they walked up the path towards the giant white Mansion, and decided not to argue. After all, he was in severe pain. The only way he was able to not scream out in pain was because he was in front of Hinata. He had never been one to show pain in front of females.

They made it to the Mansion steps, where they were greeted by a large number of people. Brandon immediately recognized Tsunade, and he bowed deeply. Hinata bowed as well, not removing her arm from his. "Tsunade-sama. I am Brandon Hyuga. It's an honor to meet you." He said, and Tsunade inclined her head.

Hinata spoke before anyone else could make introductions, her voice firm. "I apologize, but we have no time for pleasantries. He needs some medical treatment." She said.

Hiashi nodded, and parted a way through the Hyuga Council to the front door. "You can address his wounds in the council chamber. There, everyone will convene and we can talk while he gets treated." He said. Hinata only nodded and led Brandon by the arm inside of the Mansion.

Brandon walked with Hinata, followed by the crowd, straight down the hallway to a back room. The room was open, and held a large number of chairs capable of seating every single member of the crowd following him. It was a large wooden floored room with a Dojo-type theme, but comfortable reclining chairs were positioned in a large circle with a large open space in the middle.

It was to that open space that Hinata led Brandon, and then quickly made him lie down. She turned red as people walked into the room behind them as she ordered him to take off his shirt. He complied, and immediately regretted it because the movement caused immense pain.

Hinata's eyes widened as she saw gashes on his bare right shoulder, bicep, and forearm. Blood covered his entire arm, and a large number of people in the crowd started to murmur in concern as they sat. Brandon regretted pointing this out, but he had to because it was causing him pain. "There was also a shuriken in my right thigh that I pulled out." He said, and Hinata nodded.

Her eyes were narrowed in concentration as she thought about her choices, but Tsunade walked forward and spoke. "Allow me. I'll have him fixed up in just a few moments."

Hinata nodded and moved off to Brandon's left side while Tsunade assessed the damage done to his arm and leg. To view the wound on his leg, she simply cut a hole in his pants that revealed the wound. Within a few moments, she quickly started to perform hand-seals, closing her eyes. Finally, she opened her eyes and ended her hand seals. She extended one of her hands and placed it on the middle of his bandaged chest. Her hand glowed green as Chakra surrounded it, and then it surged into Brandon's chest.

He gasped as he felt the energy surge like an electric current through his body, and then he watched in amazement as his wounds shrunk and disappeared. The blood was still there, but that could easily be wiped away. Tsunade then stood, and went back to her seat, smiling.

She sat in an open chair, and then waited for someone to start talking. Brandon blushed as Hinata produced a rag and started to clean the blood off of him, but it didn't last long because Hiashi spoke. "Brandon Hyuga…welcome. We thought you dead all those years ago…and still did until two days ago. Two days ago, a young man showed up at the Hyuga Compound gate and asked to see you. We told him that you were dead and then I told him of the particulars of your kidnapping. Patrick Frinizaki, we have you to thank." He addressed Patrick, and Brandon immediately turned his head and saw Patrick sitting off to his left.

"Patrick!" He yelled, and Patrick grinned. Brandon grinned back as he saw Patrick's ridiculous hair. It was shoulder length messy, spiky black hair.

"Hey. Looks like you're doing well. How's it feel to be a Hyuga?" Patrick asked, and Brandon grinned even wider.

"It's great. How did you know that I would be coming from the Land of Lightning?" Brandon asked, and then quickly thanked Hinata as she finished cleaning his arm off. She stood and walked out of the room and then quickly returned without the rag.

"I had a vision, believe it or not. But that's beside the point. I'm glad you made it here safe, man." Patrick said, standing and walking over to Brandon. He extended his hand to help Brandon up, and Brandon took it. Patrick hoisted him up onto his feet, and then they hugged quickly. Patrick went back to sit down, and Hiashi spoke once more.

"Brandon…would you be so kind as to tell us the particulars of how you ran away?" He asked, and Brandon nodded.

"Absolutely." Brandon said, and took a deep breath. Then…he told them everything that had happened starting on the morning of his birthday.

Brandon ended his tale, saying, "And I'm sure the ANBU have told Lady Tsunade the rest."

He had managed to keep from crying as he told the details of his fight with Hakashino, and Hiashi's gaze had grown hard as he had told of the duel. Now there was a silent murmur running through the numerous elder Hyuga who obviously were the Council, and Hiashi seemed to know what they were saying.

"Brandon…allow me to tell you the same thing that I've informed Hinata and even Neji and Patrick. This may be difficult for you to hear, but I feel that you should know." Hiashi said, and Brandon fixed his attention solely on Hiashi.

Hiashi spoke slowly, taking his time so that Brandon could digest everything he was saying. "Brandon…sixteen years ago, the Hyuga Clan was starting to splinter. The Main Branch Families were starting to become aggressive and non-negotiative and we stopped communicating. However, one man figured out how to bring us together. The Families quite simply wanted a show of strong leadership and decisions on the Council's part, and your father and mother figured out how. They were two influential council members such as I am…and they were married. They conceived a child, you, and they decided that since their sides of the family and my sides of the family were at each other's throat that we could fix the rift that was opening.

"My daughter, Hinata, was born a year after you, but my Wife knew she was pregnant. We promised that you and Hinata would be married when you reached the age of 16…in order to give the families something in common to not fight about and to bind them together. That did it, and the families celebrated the union. But… when you were two years old and the peak of our families' union, Ceil and Hagane Hyuga, your parents…were murdered.

"From what we gathered, they were walking down the main street when Hakashino came up to them, and killed them both in front of you. It was at night, and only one man witnessed the attack. The man said that Ceil and Hagane both put up a fight. Your parents were very strong, even stronger than I was at the time, but Hakashino employed lightning techniques and killed both of the parents in a single blow.

"The only way we recognized who they were when we found them on the street…was because the young man who witnessed the fight. They were burned and mutilated beyond recognition. We found no sign of you, and immediately called up the Anbu and the fastest and best trackers we had. We tracked Hakashino to the border of Konoha…but then somehow he managed to teleport.

"We didn't know where…but the only nation who has ever tried to capture the Byakugan is the Village hidden in the Clouds. We assume that you had been killed…because that's what we thought the Raikage would do. We thought he would use you and Hakashino to find out how to power the Byakugan…and then kill both if you. So, we assumed that you were dead for the past fourteen years."

Brandon stood there, staring at Hiashi with tears in his eyes. So Hakashino had done that, all of that, in front of him? Why couldn't he remember it? Had he just been too young to remember? Or was it a suppressed memory?

Everyone was silent, and Brandon quickly wiped the tears away from his eyes on the bandages on his left arm. "Thank you, Hiashi-sama." He said, and Hiashi nodded.

Tsunade spoke in a quiet tone, just loud enough to be heard clearly by those in the room. "We can be sure that the Raikage will not be happy, but he cannot lodge any formal complaints or protests. He can't just out and say that he was holding a kidnapped Hyuga, and say you escaped so he wants you back. He might try to send covert operatives to kidnap you back, but I doubt that he would risk that seeing as he knows that we know about his treachery. So, he will most likely continue as if nothing is wrong, no matter how badly he wants you back. But…still, you aren't a Konoha ninja until you take a blood-oath and swear your loyalty to Konoha."

A large number of Hyuga's suddenly started to protest, but Tsunade held up her hand. "This has been done by all kinds of people in the past, both by refugees and long lost Konoha family members. I will not show special treatment, even if it is a member of the most prestigious clan in Konoha."

There was silence, and Brandon bowed to Tsunade. "Of course. I would expect no less, and would settle for no less of myself. Thank you for giving me a chance, Lady Tsunade. And…I know you haven't said it yet, but I know that you will insist on keeping me in a cell under guard and in cuffs. I accept willingly, do whatever you feel is necessary."

She gave a small smile, on that seemed to say she was impressed slightly. "Very well. Thank you."

Patrick spoke up, rising from his chair. "Um…I don't meant to complain, but why would we need to do this? I mean, he's a Hyuga…and he _willingly ran_ from the Nation of Cloud. He left behind his headband, signaling he no longer serves them, _and _he even got injured and fought for his life to reach us here. Doesn't that signal how badly he wants to be apart of us?"

Hinata also rose, and did her signature fidget. She poked her index fingers together, looked at the floor, and spoke softly. "I agree with Patrick…we could even examine him right now with our Byakugan to tell if he lies if he just said it here and now. He wouldn't have to be imprisoned…and he could relax and recover after his journey. He could get to know his new home."

Tsunade raised her right eyebrow, obviously picking up on something that both Patrick and Brandon were clueless about. "Hiashi…I take it then that you're still going through with it? Are you even going to inform the boy?" She asked, and Hiashi nodded slowly. He had a ponderous scowl on his face.

"I do indeed intend to tell him as well as go through with it. It is essential to the stability of the Clan. But, let's not change the subject, Madame Hokage. Both Patrick Frinizaki and Hinata have valid points. We Hyuga could discern if he lies…were he to speak his pledge here." He said, and all eyes concentrated on Tsunade.

However, before she could speak, Brandon spoke. He was staring at the floor, hands clasped in front of him, a gesture of humility. "I do not wish to make trouble or difficulties for the Hokage. I realize the implications of doing this now, especially without the approval of the Council of Elders. I will comply with the first decision, Madame Tsunade. I don't want to cause strains. After all, as long as I'm home…I'm happy."

Patrick sat, and casually moved his hand in front of his mouth as if he were in thought, but was simply hiding his smile. '_You really submerged yourself in this universe. Geez, you suck-up. Heh, I guess you went all out here. You're in your natural element now, completely lost in your character. Maybe I should do the same…_' He thought.

Tsunade smiled. "I never said what my _first_ decision was, Brandon Hyuga. I thank you for your concern, but even with the Council of Elders, the decision is mine. Seeing as you are so cooperative, I don't see a problem doing the pledge here and now."

Brandon looked up, a faint smile on his lips. "Thank you, Lady Tsunade."

She nodded, and then said in a tougher tone, "But first…get your shirt back on."

Brandon nodded and immediately grabbed his shirt from the floor. He started to put it on as Tsunade spoke to Hiashi. "Choose your examiners, five in all."

Hiashi stood, and took a step forward. "I will be one. Hinata, Neji, Tomaru, and Inashi please step forward."

At Hiashi's call, each person stood and stepped forward, forming a straight line in front of Brandon which obscured his vision of the Hokage. The two last Hyuga were older council members, both dark haired and rather Non-descript. (A/N: Easier for me. I don't feel like describing them, so they'll be non-descript frumpy, wrinkly old Hyuga dudes. Lol.)

Tsunade spoke calmly, and Brandon listened intently. "Repeat after me, and then make your own blood-oath."

He nodded, and repeated after Tsunade, who paused every few words. "I, Brandon Hyuga, swear that I will treat Konoha as my home. I pledge my allegiance to Konoha, and to no other. I will defend it, its citizens, its friends, and I will never run from duty or danger. I will be courageous yet cautious and I will perform to the best of my ability. I swear that no other alliance or leaders or person holds my allegiance, and my sole allegiance is to Konoha."

Brandon dutifully repeated the pledge, while the five Hyuga's stared at him with activated Byakugan. They said nothing as they each held the seal of the ram with their hands and gazed at Brandon. They said nothing, and then Brandon slowly withdrew his kunai from the holster on his right thigh. He raised his left hand, palm up, and quickly cut through the bandages on his hand and into the flesh of his palm.

Red blood oozed from his palm and soaked into the bandages and he grimaced slightly. "I, Brandon Hyuga, swear my undying loyalty to Konoha. I will protect it, its villagers, its friends, and its ninja with all I have. They are my family, and I will protect them as such. I will never run, and I will lay down my life for any of my family. I promise to serve and obey without question or qualm, and I will act against any and all threats to the Security and safety of Konoha with all at my disposal." He said this with a straight face, dead serious. He meant everything he said, and he would never go back on his word.

The five Hyuga's deactivated their Byakugan, and then they turned to Tsunade. Each said the same phrase one after another, clearing Brandon. "He is sincere and truthful."

All of the other Hyuga's except for Hiashi sat down at their seats, and Tsunade waved one hand at a guard standing behind her. The guard stepped forward, and she whispered into his ear. The guard, a cat-masked ANBU, teleported away with a puff of smoke and then Tsunade spoke.

"Brandon Hyuga…will you accept the title of being a Konoha Ninja?" She asked, and Brandon nodded.

"Yes, Ma'am." He said, completely serious.

"Even with all the dangers and responsibilities that come with it?" She asked.

He nodded again and replied the same. Tsunade nodded, and then said. "While you may have killed an ANBU, and an 'S' ranked criminal, I don't know your full capabilities. I will start you as Genin, beginning ninja, and you will have to earn your rank."

Protests immediately started to rise, from Hyuga and other Ninja alike. Patrick stood, a look of disbelief on his face. This was absurd! If anything, he should start at Chunin and have to work his way up, because killing an 'S' Rank criminal and killing an ANBU were both Jonin level and up.

However, Hiashi held up a hand, and the room settled. Brandon bowed deeply to Tsunade, grateful to be accepted as anything. "I accept. Thank you, Lady Tsunade." He said, and Tsunade stood.

The ANBU suddenly teleported beside Tsunade, with a black Konoha ninja headband in his hands. Tsunade took it, and then presented it to Brandon. He solemnly took it and then tied it around his forehead, adjusting the metal plate to rest square on his forehead. The leaf symbol glinted in the light as he bowed in thanks to Tsunade.

She bowed back slightly, and then said, "Hiashi, once he is recovered, and comfortably settled in his new home…send him to me for squad assignment."

Hiashi bowed, acknowledging his orders, and then said, "Thank you."

She stood, along with several others who had come with her, and left. The ANBU left as well, and all that was left in the room were Hyuga's and Patrick. Hiashi turned to Patrick and said, "I realize that you are waiting for a chance to talk to Brandon, but would you step outside? The council must inform him of things that are very sensitive."

Patrick stood, bowed, and left. It was fine with him, because Brandon would definitely tell him about it. Either way he would find out. So, he shut the sliding door behind him and sat outside in the hallway on the wooded floor.

Brandon was standing absolutely still, unsure of what was necessary now. Hiashi indicated that Brandon take an empty chair that was on the other side of the room facing him, so Brandon did quickly. He was silent, and he felt extremely nervous with all the Hyuga in the room staring at him intently.

"You may not have caught it, but I mentioned that you and Hinata had been promised to each other. And, now with your re-emergence, the clan will want us to keep that promise. If we don't, it could result in a feud among the families. Just like all those years ago." Hiashi said, his gaze hard and completely serious.

Brandon stammered slightly. "S-sir? I…I was considered dead. Surely, Lady Hinata has some significant other that would have a problem with this. I mean, I was gone and we don't even really know each other."

Hiashi shook his head. "A promise is a promise, and one that has to be honored for the sake of the clan."

Brandon looked at Hinata, who quickly looked away from his gaze and blushed as she looked at the ground. Then he looked at Hiashi and addressed his carefully. "Sir, I would be lying if I said that I wasn't interested in this greatly. Lady Hinata is very pretty sir, but I don't believe in forcing anyone to marry against their will. I…"

"I-I-I-It's n-not against my will." Hinata said, interrupting him. She raised her head and looked at him, her face completely red.

Suddenly, Brandon felt dizzy. He swayed, and collapsed to his knees. His wound may have been healed, but he still lost a lot of blood on his way here. There was an instant fuss over him, the first one being over to him being Hinata, and he felt himself being laid onto the wooden floor.

"Rest…Brandon-kun. Relax, don't fight it. Just rest." He heard, and the last thing he remembered was the faint smell of lilacs and lavender.

YOSH! It's finished! Chapter 6 will be up eventually, but my main concern is my Naruto Revelations. If you haven't read it, I suggest you check it out! Thanks guys!


	6. Chapter 6: Intertwining of Fates

Dimension Switch…ENTER NARUTO!

DISCLAIMER: Once again: I don't own Naruto. I only own the things I mark in Asterisks and Patrick, Brandon, Journey, and my pocket lint! ;-)

Chapter 6: Intertwining of Fates!

Previously on Dimension Switch…Enter Naruto:

Suddenly, Brandon felt dizzy. He swayed, and collapsed to his knees. His wound may have been healed, but he still lost a lot of blood on his way here. There was an instant fuss over him, the first one being over to him being Hinata, and he felt himself being laid onto the wooden floor.

"Rest…Brandon-kun. Relax, don't fight it. Just rest." He heard, and the last thing he remembered was the faint smell of lilacs and lavender.

The Continuation:

Patrick rose from the wooden floor as the door opened beside him, and out stepped two Hyuuga carrying an unconscious Brandon between them. Patrick was about to ask what happened when Hiashi appeared next to them and looked at Patrick.

"He's lost blood, and he's fainted. He will need to sleep for a while. I apologize for this; I know that you must have wanted to become better acquainted with him as soon as possible." He said, and Hinata and Hanabi both appeared at their father's side. Hanabi was staring after Brandon, as he was being carried away, with almost disdain. Hinata was staring at him with concern and…affection.

Patrick nodded in response to Hiashi's guess. "Yes, I was looking forward to it, but I know he needs his rest. I'll…I'll just go home. But, once he's up and awake, would you please inform me?" Patrick watched Hinata walk down the wooden corridor towards the main door to the mansion.

Hiashi nodded, and Patrick bowed. "I would be grateful. Thank you so much for everything you've done." Patrick said, and Hiashi bowed back.

"And thank you, Patrick Frinizaki, you've been a great help. I hope we can help you one day." He said, and Patrick walked quickly towards Hinata.

"Hinata." He called, softly. She stopped and turned to him, waiting for him to draw close.

"Yes, Patrick?" She asked.

"Your father…he still intends for you and Brandon to marry doesn't he?" He asked, and Hinata's blush answered for him.

Patrick still had his backpack on, and he shifted it to make it more comfortable. "So…I heard he killed the ANBU who was pursuing him. How did he do it?"

Hinata told him briefly of Brandon's fight, and Patrick nodded. "So, he knew that if we were to spar, he would have to have original moves and not jus the traditional Hyuuga moves." He murmured, and Hinata gave him a questioning look.

Patrick grinned at her, smiling. "Ah, you see, I guess the explanation is rather simple and complicated at the same time. In our previous lives, I guess you could say we've always been friendly rivals who love to spar. We love to compete, going all out to increase our talents and strengths and at the same time to see which of us is stronger so far. So this life…we have stronger powers than the last, so it's going to be interesting."

Hinata nodded and smiled softly. "So you two are eternal rivals yet forever friends." She stated, and Patrick affirmed this with a nod.

"So, when he is all better, I plan on sparring with him. Just as I did with Neji, but with more seriousness and hopefully more…fun." Patrick said, as they both walked towards the front door of the mansion.

"What will you do until then?" She asked quietly.

"I'll probably try to hone my skills by fighting different people, or maybe just look around for a certain female Ninja." He said, and Hinata gave him a look.

"Would I know this Kunoichi?" asked Hinata.

"Yes. She is Neji's teammate, Tenten. Do you know where I can find her?" He asked, getting excited.

"I might…but why do you need to find her?" Hinata asked, and Patrick flushed in embarrassment.

"I, uh, uh, I kinda like her." He muttered, and bowed his head to hide his face. His face was red, and he felt extremely hot as if the temperature had risen to 100 degrees. He sweated slightly, and Hinata held back a laugh.

"I see. Hold on a moment." Hinata murmured, and Patrick glanced over at her. Her Byakugan was activated, and her pale lavender eyes had the cracks in the iris that seemed to outline a pupil. The veins around her eyes stood out, and he was surprised that he was more intimidated by her with her Byakugan activated than he was by Neji.

Within moments, the veins disappeared and the cracks in her eyes disappeared as well. She blinked, and then looked at Patrick with a soft smile. "She and Lee are both coming up the Hyuuga estate as we speak. You're in luck." She said, and Patrick's eyes widened.

"Thanks!" He said, and Hinata giggled and nodded.

"No problem. If you want, you can stay around. You, Tenten, Lee, Neji and I can talk and…uh, hang around." She offered, and Patrick grinned happily.

"I would love that. Thank you so much, Hinata." He said, and she continued her walk to the front door. Patrick accompanied her, nervously awaiting Tenten's arrival. Hinata was smiling, and watched out of the corner of her eye as Patrick quickly made himself as presentable as possible. He ran his fingers through his hair, straightened his hair, and pulled a pack of mints out of his backpack. He took a mint, and Hinata giggled.

"What?" He asked, nervously fidgeting.

"Nothing. Have you ever really met Tenten?" Hinata asked, and Patrick considered his answer for a moment. He had written his character's history, but struggled to remember his and Tenten's history. Then, he remembered how Brandon seemed to completely be his character and yet somehow retain himself. He had been submerged in his character, and Patrick realized he would have to do the same in order to completely understand the world of Naruto. He closed his eyes, and then opened himself to the knowledge that was there…but pushed back by his own brain. The knowledge flooded in, and he truly became Patrick Frinizaki.

He opened his eyes and smiled. "I went on a mission with Team Guy a few years back. It was a small, unimportant mission at first. However, it quickly became a mission in which there was a combat situation. I am not surprised Neji didn't recognize me, because he hardly noticed me or looked at me during the mission. However, Lee, Tenten, and I hung out. I was wounded during the combat situation, when I jumped in the way of a jutsu to protect Tenten. I liked her from when I first saw her, but I didn't have the guts to tell her. So, as I was saying before, I jumped in the way of a jutsu to protect her and got scarred up pretty badly. You didn't see the scars when you healed me because my shirt wasn't off. Here." Patrick said, and he opened his 'Gi' shirt. Once his chest was exposed, Hinata gasped. Criss-crossing his muscular, toned upper torso was five thin pink scars. They were thin, but you could tell that they had been pretty bad. Patrick smiled sadly and closed his shirt, hiding his scars.

"At first, they classified me as dead…until Neji was able to detect the slightest heartbeat. They finished the battle quickly, and then carried me to the nearest hospital. I was stationed there for a few weeks, and then we came back to Konoha, and I haven't seen her since. For…let me see…" Patrick trailed off and did a quick calculation. "2 years, 5 months, 1 week and 1 day." He said, and Hinata blinked in amazement. He could remember that?

"So…you never told her and she never figured out?" Hinata asked, and Patrick nodded. "Are you ever going to tell her?" Hinata asked, and Patrick shrugged in response.

"I don't know. I suppose I will eventually, but I'm not sure I have a chance. She's always been obsessed with Neji, and I don't think I've ever really had a chance in her eyes." He said, and Hinata nodded.

"Don't give up hope. I'm sure it'll work." Hinata said, and then looked at the door. "They should be here in a few moments. Let's go wait for them." She said, and Patrick followed her outside of the mansion and onto the front porch.

Walking up the path towards them was Rock Lee, wearing his traditional green spandex and orange leg warmers, but he wore a green vest like Might Guy now, and he looked so much like his instructor it was scary. Tenten was wearing a one-sleeved white shirt with red trim on the sleeves, and then brown pants and black ninja shoes. She still had her hair tied up in two buns at the top of her head, and Patrick was amazed at how beautiful she still was. She had a kind smile, and she walked with a grace that came from her practices of weapons handling.

Rock lee did a thumb up gesture while yelling excitedly, "Hinata! Yo! Where is Neji?"

Tenten shook her head and sighed, still smiling. Her teammate could be so eccentric it was annoying. "Hinata-chan! It's great to see you again!" She said, and Patrick smiled when he heard her voice. Rock Lee and Tenten climbed the white stone steps, and met Hinata and Patrick at the top.

They all bowed to each other, and Rock Lee was the first to ask who Patrick was. Hinata answered, introducing Patrick. "This…is an honored guest of the Hyuga clan. He's helped us regain a long-lost main branch member. You both know him, I believe." She said, and waited for the two to remember Patrick. They didn't. They both stood there, trying to remember him, but they couldn't.

Patrick rubbed his head sheepishly. "My hair wasn't like this before. It was spiked tall, and…I hid my face halfway behind a high-collared jacket like Shino Aburame." He said, and both of the visiting Ninja paused for a second and pictured him with the description he gave.

"N-no! Patrick-kun?" Lee asked, yelling his surprise.

Patrick nodded, and grinned shyly. "Yeah, that's me."

He was startled when Tenten did something completely unusual. She launched herself at him and wrapped him in a huge hug, and yelled, "Patrick!"

Patrick stumbled backwards a few steps while countering her weight so they wouldn't fall, and laughed when he was steadied. He hugged her back, and Hinata raised an eyebrow that said, '_Well, well._' Tenten released Patrick, who was blushing like crazy, and asked excitedly, "Patrick! I can't believe it's you! How have you been? Have you seen Neji lately? How long are you staying?"

Patrick chuckled, and Lee walked over and gave him a vigorous handshake. "It's great to see you again! It has been the longest time since we last saw each other!" Lee exclaimed.

Patrick turned to Tenten and answered her questions. "I've been just great, Tenten. Been kinda busy lately, but I'm good! And yes, I've seen Neji. I've seen a lot of him the past two days, but I don't think he's recognized me yet or if he did…I don't think he cares. And, I was just leaving until Hinata offered me the opportunity to stay and hang out with you guys." He said, and Tenten gave him a pleading look.

"Are you going to stay? You just have to! It's been forever since we talked!" Tenten begged, and seized his right hand between both of hers. He couldn't get over how soft her hands were; even though they were strong…they were incredible. He stammered out, "Y-yeah, I'm staying. I wouldn't miss this chance."

Hinata gave him a soft smile, and then turned to face Neji, who just walked out of the front door. He gave a surprised look at Patrick as he saw Tenten holding Patrick's hand, but quickly composed himself. "Lee, Tenten, how are you?"

Tenten slowly released Patrick's hand, and then both Lee and her bowed slightly to Neji. "We're doing great! Do you know who this is?" Tenten asked, gesturing to Patrick.

Neji nodded slightly. "Yes. His name is Patrick, and he's helped us find Brandon Hyuga. He showed up here a few days ago."

Tenten shook her head, smiling. "That may be true, but you apparently don't really know who he is."

Neji gave her a puzzling glance, and noticed Lee assuming a thoughtful position, eyes closed and first finger resting on his chin. "Patrick…do you still have your scars?" He asked, and Patrick looked away from them in embarrassment. He didn't know why he was so embarrassed to admit it, but he was.

"Y-yeah. I still have them." He said, and Lee walked closer.

Tenten cast a look over that Patrick couldn't interpret and she said, "Maybe if you performed a Transformation (_Henge_) so he could see what you used to look like?"

Patrick nodded and quickly put his hands together and concentrated his Chakra. "Transformation! (_Henge_)" He yelled, and disappeared in a puff of smoke. When the smoke cleared, he was his younger self, and Neji performed a double take.

"What? Patrick…I remember now…you were _him._" Neji mumbled in shock, and Patrick gave Neji a confused look. The emphasis on 'him' was strange, and he didn't understand it.

"Let's go inside and talk or we could go out to the gardens." Hinata spoke up, obviously keeping Patrick from asking the question he wanted to right then.

Everyone exchanged glances, and Patrick shrugged and smiled. "I'm up for anywhere." He said.

"I'm up for the garden." Lee said, and Tenten and Neji agreed with him. Hinata nodded and then started to walk down the steps, and everyone followed her.

"Patrick…may I see the scars later?" Tenten asked, walking up next to him and whispering her question. Patrick nodded, unsure of why she was whispering, but whispered back, "Yes. Just ask, and I'll show you."

Tenten nodded, and walked up next to Hinata, and so did Lee. That left Neji and Patrick to follow, and they walked slowly. Patrick sensed a strange tension, but had no clue why it was there. Neji talked softly, obviously trying to not be overheard. "Patrick…I'm sorry." He said, and Patrick looked at him. Neji was obviously troubled, perhaps even sad.

"Sorry for what?" Patrick asked softly. Neji, who had always been so confident and aloof, obviously struggled to communicate what he wanted.

"I…I was a fool for not recognizing you sooner. I'm sorry for not realizing who you were sooner. And I…I never told you thank you for what you did on that mission we had together." Neji said, and Patrick looked at him with a smile.

"I forgive you. And, you don't have to thank me. I was protecting Tenten, not you." Patrick said, and Neji nodded.

The tension was increasing, and Patrick realized why Neji was so…awkward. He knew why Patrick had jumped in front of the attack to protect Tenten all those years ago. Neji spoke again. "I know…but I still should have shown thankfulness for you protecting the life of my teammate."

Patrick nodded, and they both grew silent as they sat in the garden with the others. Tenten and Lee sat on one bench, Neji and Hinata on another, and Patrick sat on one next to Neji and Hinata's. "So, what have you been doing these past few years, after your mission with team Guy?" Asked Hinata, and Patrick knew she was doing her best to get Patrick and Tenten talking.

Patrick smiled and said, "Well, I've been promoted to Chunin and been doing a lot of missions. I have been preparing for the Jonin test, which I will be taking soon, and I've been doing a lot of traveling and learning foreign Jutsu. One from the land of Lightning, a simple teleportation Jutsu, but mainly moves from the Village Hidden in the Sand and The Village Hidden in the Rocks. I've mastered a large amount of Doton, earth style, attacks. And, I've been doing a lot of experimental Jutsu…which Neji knows about a couple now." Patrick glanced at Neji, who flushed in embarrassment.

"Neji? What's he mean by that?" Lee asked, and Neji looked down at the ground. Hinata giggled, and Tenten gaped at Patrick.

"No…you can't mean…?" She asked, and looked at Neji. His long brown hair hid his face, but Lee got the idea too.

"You beat Neji?" Asked Rock Lee, mouth agape. Neji was a Jonin, a highly skilled Hyuga who deserved the title bestowed upon him: Genius.

Tenten looked back and forth from Neji to Patrick, several times. She was utterly amazed, and Patrick grinned sheepishly as he rubbed his head. Neji was embarrassed but muttered, "Yes. He beat me…and he broke through my Kaiten."

Hinata's eyes widened at this new piece of information she had just heard, and even Tenten gasped in shock. Rock Lee, for once, was silent in awe. Patrick just grinned slightly and closed his eyes, chuckling. Tenten asked Neji how.

"He…he just _punched_ through it. It shouldn't be possible…but he did it." Neji said, and Patrick became aware that Neji was looking at him with awe and respect.

"Hey. I tried the first time, but it didn't work. It was only the second time that it worked." Patrick said, trying to make himself seem not so great. This was actually uncharacteristic of himself. He usually boasted and bragged, and he was startled about his modesty.

Rock Lee was on his feet now, eyes aflame and fists clenched in the air. "You must teach me how! I must learn the secret to defeat Neji's ultimate Defense!" He yelled, and Patrick winced in pain at the volume of the yell.

"I don't mean to be rude…but you have to discover it for yourself." Patrick said, smiling. Rock Lee replied with vigor, "Of course! The only kind of victory comes through your own personal experiences and training! Neji! Come! We must fight!" Rock Lee jumped up, grabbed Neji by the arm and yanked him out of the garden to spar.

Hinata and Tenten laughed hysterically as Neji sent a death-glare at them while Lee forced him to spar. Neji stood still, hoping Lee would stop, but Lee launched a salvo of punches that Neji didn't bother to defend. Neji flew backwards, bleeding from his lip. It was obvious Lee was too caught up in the moment to interpret the evil glare Neji sent him. Finally, as Lee launched another attack, Neji defended.

Tenten, Hinata, and Patrick laughed and then turned to each other to talk. Tenten looked at Patrick with the same look that he couldn't interpret from earlier, and he gave a nervous glance to Hinata. She had a smile that made him realize what Tenten's look meant. She liked him. She really liked him.

Patrick smiled at Tenten nervously, and walked over to her bench and sat next to her. "So…how have you been over the past few years?" he asked, and she smiled at him.

"I've been just fine. A little stressed with Lee and Master Guy, but fine other than that. I've been through some pretty difficult missions, one where I even had to fight myself." She said, and Patrick raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"What? Fight yourself?" He asked in amazement.

"Yeah. Same looks, abilities, weapons…same everything." She said, and Patrick whistled in amazement.

"Yeah…it was hard. Especially when I didn't have a hero to jump recklessly in front of attacks for me." She said, teasing him. Then, she turned serious.

"Can…can I see your scars?" She asked, and Patrick nodded. He opened his shirt, revealing the thin pink lines.

Tenten gazed at them, and hesitantly raised her hand to touch them. "May I?" She asked, and Patrick nodded. Her soft, warm hand touched his chest, and he felt tingly. His whole body seemed to have an electric current running through it, and he smiled softly at her.

"I never got to see how much you suffered for me. I was so young and obsessed with Neji…too concentrated on him to see or care how badly you were hurt for me." She murmured, and leaned close to him. Their gazes locked, both of their warm brown eyes saying what they wanted to verbally say. His blood felt like it was on fire as it coursed through his veins, and he was aware that they were leaning dangerously close. Their bodies were separated by an inch, a mere inch, and their faces were separated by that length as well. Only an inch, and their lips would meet…only an inch to ease the longing they both felt.

"You…almost died for me. And this…this is my thanks." She said, whispering. He felt her warm breath, and he knew what was going to happen. She leaned closer a fraction, and their lips were almost touching. He leaned the rest of the way, and their lips pressed together and he kissed her. She kissed him back, their kiss like a gentle caress: slow and pleasurable.

She pulled away slightly and asked, "Do you know that for the past two years…I've thought of you almost non-stop? Why didn't you ever try to find me…to keep in contact with me?"

Patrick looked fondly at her, a soft smile on his lips. Her hand was still on his chest, absentmindedly tracing his thin scars. "I…I wanted to. But, you were…so obsessed with Neji. I felt I didn't stand a chance next to the 'genius'."

Tenten looked at him with regret and lowered her face. "I know…I'm sorry. I've gotten over him, though. Now…all I can think about is you. I've been thinking about you for the past few years…wondering if you thought about me like I thought about you."

"And how do you think about me?" Patrick asked, wanting to know for sure.

"I…I…" Tenten started to say, and she looked back up into his eyes with hope. "I like you more than a friend…more than a comrade or fellow ninja. I like you more than I even liked Neji." She said, and Patrick gave her a grin.

"Good. Then let me tell you how I feel. I like you the same way…as more than a friend. I always have. I want to be more than your friend, and I want to be with you. You're the first and only person I've liked like this…and I want you to know that I would give my life to protect you. Tenten, will you be my girlfriend?" Patrick asked, and Tenten nodded.

"Yes. I'll be your girlfriend." She said, and Hinata giggled.

The both turned to Hinata, curious. "What?" Tenten asked, and Hinata replied after she stopped giggling.

"Well…that was fast. Faster than I thought would ever be possible…and you kissed!" Hinata laughed, and Patrick blushed. Tenten giggled as well.

"Well, we got to know each other pretty well during that mission we had together all those years ago. We told each other everything…and I mean everything. I got to know him so well, it was like knowing another portion of myself." Tenten said, and Hinata glanced over to where Neji and Lee were still sparring.

Patrick looked as well, and laughed when he saw Lee try to break through the Kaiten, at the peak of the Kaiten's power. Lee went flying back, and landed hard. Neji was just shaking his head in mock concern, and was trying not to laugh.

"Y'know…I think I'm gonna show Lee how it's done." Patrick said, and felt the need to show off a little. He stood, re-tied his Gi, and then walked out of the Garden. He was aware of both Tenten's and Hinata's curious gaze, and he knew they wanted to see if he could really break through the Kaiten.

Patrick walked over, and Lee looked really beat up. "I just can't seem to do it yet! I must try again!" Lee yelled, clenching his fists.

"Hold on. Let me try." Patrick said, and stood in front of Neji. Neji raised an eyebrow and nodded. He assumed the stance, and Patrick charged.

Patrick closed the distance fast, and felt the tremor in the air that indicated the build-up of chakra. He swung with all of his strength, using his right fist, and encountered the resistance. It was weak, and he broke through, stopping his fist an inch from Neji's face. Neji blinked, and gave a small smile, and Rock Lee whooped in joy.

"I see! I see! I must try!" Rock Lee said, jumping around.

Patrick bowed to Neji, who bowed back, and then Patrick walked back to the garden. His hand was sore from punching through the Kaiten, and his knuckles were scraped from the chakra resistance. But, he didn't mind. At least he had broken through.

He sat down next to Tenten, and Hinata complimented him. "That was great. I had no idea you could break through the Kaiten!" Hinata said, and Patrick nodded.

"I've trained with Neji, when he used the Kaiten all those years, and I never found a weakness. How did you find out?" She asked, and Patrick smiled.

"I noticed that when Neji fought against Naruto, the very first time he used the Kaiten, it was weak directly at the beginning. Everyone was so concerned about attacking the Kaiten at it's peak power, but no one seemed to attack it at the very beginning. I figured, if it's a weak build-up, I could break through. But, my theory was actually never proven until I fought Neji." Patrick said, and Tenten smiled.

Patrick felt a strange prickling on the back of his neck, and immediately whipped his head towards the woods. He stood, and without realizing it, pulled out his kunai. He felt…a strong Chakra presence that was trying to mask itself and did very well. But, masking your Chakra uses Chakra, and he had been trained in the land of Rock to notice that kind of presence. He glanced directly at the spot, and the presence wavered and then disappeared.

He glanced around, and Hinata asked, "What?"

"I felt something. I can sense Chakra…and even when people try to hide their Chakra I can sense it. This person had _strong_ Chakra, and he was masking it really well, but I could tell it was him." Said Patrick, and Hinata activated her Byakugan.

She held still for a moment, and then deactivated it. "Whoever it was…was fast. They just barely left the range of my Byakugan when I looked. All I could catch was a flash of motion." She said, and Patrick felt a chill go up his spine, even though it was pleasantly warm outside. Someone fast enough to outrun the Byakugan's range? That…was not good.

"Did you see what colors they were wearing, in that flash of motion?" Asked Patrick.

Hinata nodded and bowed her head. "He…whoever they were…waswearing orange." She said.

Patrick's eyes widened as it dawned on him. The only ninja ever recorded who wore _orange_ of all colors, who had possibly the strongest Chakra ever, and who was the son of the Yellow Flash (Fourth Hokage)…was Naruto Uzumaki. He turned to Hinata. "You know who it is…don't you?" He asked, and Hinata nodded.

"It's Naruto. I gave up on him…but I think he's been realizing that he likes me. We've been running into each other a bit more and more lately. I think he's trying to work up the courage to talk to me…or maybe he's just a stalker." Hinata mumbled, and Patrick almost laughed. The stalker, Hinata, was now being stalked by the same person she stalked. How amusing.

"Hinata…if Naruto feels possessive about you, this could end badly for Brandon. Especially if he finds out about yours and Brandon's arranged marriage. He might feel the need to attack Brandon, because he might think you're being forced to against your will…and Brandon wouldn't be able to fight Naruto. Naruto's strength…is inhuman. He's probably strong enough to take out this Hyuga estate." Patrick said, and Hinata visibly grew paler.

"When he wakes…tell Brandon to meet me at Ichiraku's with you. And tell him to watch out for Naruto…because Naruto's a threat." Patrick said, and Tenten brought up a valid point.

"If this Brandon is new to Konoha, how is he going to know where Ichiraku's is, let alone who Naruto is and what he looks like?" Tenten asked.

Patrick gave her a smile. "We know all about Naruto, Brandon and I. We know more than you could ever know. It's a part of our previous lives."

Hinata was obviously going to ask what they knew about Naruto that she didn't, but Patrick held up his hand. "I can't tell you that, Hinata. It's something you'll find out soon, if Naruto attacks Brandon. Brandon will defend himself…and I'm betting he's strong enough to make Naruto get pretty serious. You'll see then. But, let's concentrate on other things…please." He said, and Hinata nodded.

They heard a large explosion off to their right, and Tenten immediately yelled without looking, "Rock Lee! Put your weights back on right now!"

Rock Lee whined back, "Aww! But Tenten! I need to be faster to break through! I must use the full power of the Bloom of Youth!"

Patrick collapsed to the ground, laughing, and Tenten merely sighed and shook her head. Around Rock Lee and Tenten…there would never be a dull moment.

------------

Naruto Uzumaki, now that night had fallen, was successfully in the Hyuga Mansion. His cerulean blue eyes glared down at the unconscious Hyuga laying on the bed beneath him. This Hyuga was different than all the others. He had blond hair, and on his bare chest, was a golden medallion. Naruto's blue eyes flickered red and then back to blue, showing his anger.

This boy…this arrogant Hyuga, was forcing Hinata to marry. Naruto cared for Hinata…a lot. He didn't want to lose Hinata…_his_ Hinata to this scum. Naruto had been so close to telling Hinata how he felt, when Hinata had just simply stopped talking to him. Now, this upstart Hyuga, a Hyuga whom he had never seen before or heard of…wanted to steal her.

Naruto gave the sleeping Hyuga a wicked smile and reached a hand slowly towards the Hyuga's neck. _If he wants to have her…he'll have to go through me!_, he thought angrily.

DUMDUMDUM! Naruto's a bit OC here, but it fit my purposes. So, oh well. Review if you want, but I've gotten used to not receiving any. goes to cry in a corner I'll just sniffle keep writing.


	7. Chapter 7: Preparation

Dimension Switch…ENTER NARUTO!

A/N: I am done with the disclaimer. If you have not gotten the point in the past six chapters, then there is no hope for you. Sorry. ;-p

Chapter 7!

Previously on Dimension Switch…Enter Naruto:

Naruto Uzumaki, now that night had fallen, was successfully in the Hyuga Mansion. His cerulean blue eyes glared down at the unconscious Hyuga lying on the bed beneath him. This Hyuga was different than all the others. He had blond hair, and on his bare chest, was a golden medallion. Naruto's blue eyes flickered red and then back to blue, showing his anger.

This boy…this arrogant Hyuga, was forcing Hinata to marry. Naruto cared for Hinata…a lot. He didn't want to lose Hinata…_his_ Hinata to this scum. Naruto had been so close to telling Hinata how he felt, when Hinata had just simply stopped talking to him. Now, this upstart Hyuga, a Hyuga whom he had never seen before or heard of…wanted to steal her.

Naruto gave the sleeping Hyuga a wicked smile and reached a hand slowly towards the Hyuga's neck. _If he wants to have her…he'll have to go through me!_, he thought angrily.

The Continuation:

(_Dream_)

Brandon was on the bed…lying on his back. He was without a shirt, but the bandages that wound from his right hand up to his shoulder wrapped a couple times around his chest. His golden medallion weighed heavily on his chest, but the metal Leaf Village headband on his forehead wasn't as heavy. He opened his pupil-less eyes and was aware of two presences. First, was one sitting on the edge of his bed to the right. The other, was on the edge of the bed to his left.

The presence on his right, was Hinata Hyuga. She wore a light lavender Kimono, her indigo hair spilled down her shoulders and down her back, and her eyes were kind and sincere. Her lips formed a soft smile, and Brandon smiled back. "You're awake, Brandon-kun." She said, and he nodded. He could smell lilacs and lavender, which he knew was her scent.

The presence on his left spoke with a chillingly familiar voice. "Brandon…you did well. I'm glad you made it."

Brandon turned his head and saw Hakashino, his long black ponytail that extended to his lower back. He was wearing his grey sleeveless tunic top and his loose gray pants, and instead of a scowl, he wore a smile. A true smile.

Brandon smiled back, now fully aware this was a dream. "You're dead." He said, and Hakashino nodded seriously.

"Yes. However, Even though I'm dead…my spirit is lingering for just a few more moments. It's been days, but my spirit is restless…because you're in danger." Hakashino said, and Brandon shook his head.

"That's not possible. The spirit goes away…dies immediately upon the death of the body." Brandon said, and Hakashino shook his head back.

"No. It is possible. You're in danger right now. You're asleep, and you know this. However, the danger you're in is real. I just wanted to warn you…because even if I'm dead and to a certain degree evil, I'm still your father. I have been for a long time, and I can't let you die after you just achieved your goal. You have to have time to enjoy it. I'm glad Hinata and you are arranged to be married still, though." Hakashino said, and Brandon listened. Why not?

"Naruto Uzumaki is right above you, and you're slowly being choked to death right now. Your life is fading…and that's why Hinata is here as well. Right now…she's asleep in her quarters, but your subconscious pulled hers and my spirits, our minds and subconscious', in reflex to being threatened. She'll wake up when you do, and come running. But, you must defend yourself." Hakashino said, his smile disappearing and being replaced by his familiar stern scowl.

"I don't know how to wake up from a dream on command." Brandon said, raising an eyebrow.

Hakashino nodded. "Fine. I'll wake you up myself. Enjoy your life…and remember that I've always loved you, even if at times it seemed I didn't." Then, without warning, he wrapped his hands around Brandon's throat and squeezed.

Brandon's eyes widened as his air supply was cut off suddenly, and he choked, thrashing around. Hinata disappeared, and Hakashino's form wavered. "You're getting there. Defend yourself. Strike." Hakashino commanded.

Brandon frantically struck out, trying to pull the hands away from his throat. Black crept around the edges of his vision, and he felt his life force draining and disappearing. Hakashino commanded again, "Strike!"

Brandon punched out, and kicked, but the hands remained like vises on his throat. Black completely consumed his vision, and he knew he was a goner. Hakashino roared his final command with raw anger that was almost a physical blow. "STRIKE!"

(_End Dream_)

Brandon struck instinctively without the use of his Byakugan, blind and depraved of oxygen, his body immediately knowing where Tenkutsu were from extensive training. He struck in a flurry, unleashing Chakra into the attacker's arms and causing extreme pain. He closed ten Tenkutsu total, five each arm, and the attacker yelled in pain and released him.

Brandon instinctively rolled off the bed, gasping for air and slipping into a defensive crouching position. His attacker growled in anger, and Brandon's sight slowly returned. It was dark, probably around midnight, and the moon shone into the room and gave it light.

Brandon massaged his neck and rasped out, "I know you." He did indeed know the Ninja who was, the Ninja who wore the black and orange jumpsuit and had three whisker marks on each cheek. His cerulean blue eyes were alight with anger, and Brandon slowly stood. They stood no more then ten feet apart, both of them massaging their wounds.

Naruto spoke, "How do you know me?" He asked, and Brandon shook his head. He had never thought that Naruto would try to kill him.

"You're Naruto Uzumaki…and I know you almost better than you know yourself." Brandon said, and Naruto's eyes lit up with a fierce anger.

Naruto took a step forward, but froze when he heard a scream that both Brandon and he recognized. "NOOOOOOOO!" came the scream, and Brandon knew who it was.

The word left both Naruto's and his lips at the same time, both turning towards the door. "Hinata!" They both yelled, and then they both turned their attention to each other.

"You're doomed. The whole Hyuga mansion is up now, and you're going to be marked as a traitor now that you realize I know who you are. Hinata most likely saw you with her Byakugan, so if you kill me, she'll be a witness." Brandon said, and immediately slipped into Jyuken.

Naruto glared at him, but Brandon sighed. "I won't tell it was you, though."

Naruto did a double take. "What?" He asked, and Brandon repeated himself.

"I won't tell them that you were here, Naruto. I respect you a lot…and I look up to you. I don't know why you tried to kill me, but I suspect you wouldn't do it without a good reason…I know that about you. You're one of my heroes, Naruto. You don't know me…but I know you." Brandon said, and Naruto's eyes changed from anger to confusion and remorse.

"H-how…? Why?" Naruto asked, hand slack at his sides.

Brandon slipped out of Jyuken and motioned to the window. "Go. Now!"

Naruto didn't bother to ask anything else, but jumped out of the open window faster than Brandon's eyes could follow. There came loud noises and yells from outside his door, and he knew they would be here in a matter of moments. He just hoped Naruto had been fast enough to escape anyone's view that had their Byakugan activated.

Brandon quickly composed a likely story that anyone who had seen Naruto, besides Hinata, would believe. He knew Hinata would know, but he hoped she would follow his lead. He realized he was hot, sweating, and that his throat was throbbing with an almost unbearable pain. He coughed, and then fell to his knees. He coughed, and then continued to cough. He couldn't breathe…Naruto must have done more damage than he thought.

His door slammed open and several Hyuuga, including Hinata, ran into the room fully prepared for combat. Brandon couldn't catch his breath, he couldn't stop coughing, and his throat felt like it was being rubbed with sandpaper. He hacked, and gagged, and Hinata immediately pushed through the men and knelt at Brandon's side.

He managed to cough out, "Stick….with me. Just…just…just go with my….my story."

She nodded, and placed her hand on his throat. Her cool hand felt like ice against the hot skin of his neck, and he felt a soothing effect of a healing Jutsu repairing his throat. His breath became less raspy, and his throat became less raw and sore. Hinata watched him with concern, and several Hyuga moved aside for Hiashi Hyuga. He saw the open window, Hinata's glowing hand, and Brandon crouched and deducted what happened.

"Quickly search the premises for the intruder. If you find them, don't kill them. I want them alive. Quickly!" He barked out, and all the other Hyuga's left. He, Hinata, and Brandon were the only ones left in the room.

Hinata removed her hand, having completely healed Brandon's internal injury. He smiled softly at her and said, "Thank you, Lady Hinata." They both knew it was a two-layer thank you. One for healing him, and one for agreeing to go with whatever story he told.

She nodded and murmured, "You're welcome."

"Brandon…are you okay?" Hiashi asked, coming closer.

Brandon and Hinata stood, Hinata helping Brandon even though he was perfectly able to stand on his own. "I'm fine now…Hiashi-sama." He said, bowing.

"What happened?" Hiashi asked, and Brandon carefully composed himself. He had excelled in the classes at the academy on how to deceive…he had been the top in his class. Even Hakashino had trouble distinguishing Brandon's lies with his experienced Byakugan.

"I…I was assaulted by someone I couldn't quite make out. I...he…" Brandon struggled, both for effect and on how to properly put this without being too dramatic. It was difficult. "I didn't come to, until I was severely deprived of oxygen. I couldn't see. My vision was blacked out, but I struck out and managed to disable ten Tenkutsu, I believe. The opponent backed off, and I rolled into a defensive stance. Then, I believe, Lady Hinata screamed. The intruder panicked, and my sight was returning. He fled out the window…faster than I could track." Brandon said, slowly. If he rushed, Hiashi would know something wasn't right.

"I see. Hinata…what about with you? Why did you look in here, and who did you see?" Hiashi asked.

Hinata amazed Brandon. Her face was composed, but seemed concerned, and it was a perfect poker face. He would have believed it if he hadn't been the one who basically told her to lie. Well, without so many words. "I don't know. I woke, disturbed by a dream. I felt like I needed to check on Brandon…and then I saw someone choking Brandon. I saw…but I was coming out of sleep…and I can't remember who it was I saw. I'm so sorry, Father." Hinata said, bowing her head in 'shame'.

Hiashi put a comforting hand on his daughter's shoulder. "It's okay, Hinata. I'm just glad you woke when you did." He then turned to Brandon and asked, "Do you think it was a Cloud-nin?"

Brandon thought about it for a moment and then shook his head. "I can't tell. It was too sudden, and I was also coming out of sleep…and I was severely lacking in oxygen. I wouldn't really trust anything that my memories say on details…because both coming out of sleep and lack of oxygen do strange things to memories."

Hiashi nodded, and said, "Do you need anything?"

Brandon paused, and then said, "If it's permissible, could I have some time with Hinata for just a few minutes?

Hiashi raised an eyebrow, and then seemed to look at Hinata for some reason. Then, he nodded. "Not too long. You still need your rest, as does Hinata." He said, and then turned and left the room.

Once the door clicked shut, Brandon realized that Hinata was wearing a white silk robe. He cleared his throat nervously, and activated his Byakugan without using a hand seal. He quickly scanned around, making sure no one was watching or within listening distance, and then deactivated his Byakugan.

"Hinata…thank you." He said, and gestured to the bed. Hinata flushed, and Brandon realized how it could have been misconstrued. "I mean, would you like a seat?" He asked, and blushed.

Hinata nodded shyly and sat down on the edge of the plain bed, and Brandon sat next to her. They sat in silence, both having their hands on their knees and watching each other out of the corner of their eyes. Finally, Brandon spoke. "Hinata…what did you dream of?" He whispered.

Hinata looked at him, but he stared straight ahead. "I…I dreamed that I was sitting next to you…on this bed. You were laying down, and a man was sitting on the other side. He was talking to you…and I remember him saying you were in danger. You said he was dead, and he agreed. Then he talked…and then he started to choke you. I remember him saying that I would wake up, and then come running. So…then I woke up after he started to choke you." She said softly, and Brandon nodded.

"That was Hakashino…" Brandon whispered, and Hinata stiffened.

"He was Hakashino? The same man who you killed?" Hinata asked, wanting a definite yes. Wouldn't he have to be alive to invade someone's dreams?

"Yes. The one and the same. He's gone now…gone forever." Brandon said, and closed his eyes. They stayed silent, and Hinata watched him carefully. Then she slowly reached her left hand up to the left side of his face, the side facing her, and gently touched his cheek.

"You saw who it was…didn't you? I didn't see at all. All I saw was someone shrouded by the dark, and I knew you were in danger. Who was it?" Hinata asked. Brandon looked at her once her, and he saw worry and sadness in her eyes. She suspected who it was.

"Yes I saw who it was." Brandon said, and Brandon was surprised to realize that he could tell she was tense. Just the slight touch, he could interpret her. "Hinata…will you promise me not to dislike this person? Will you promise me not to hurt them or judge them or hate them?" Brandon asked. Their pale lavender eyes met, and he watched as indecision crossed her face and then he saw resolve.

"Yes…I promise." Hinata whispered.

"It was…Naruto Uzumaki." Brandon said, and Hinata withdrew her hand and gasped. Brandon quickly whispered, "But I know him. It's a part of my previous life…I know Patrick's told you about us having one. You see, I know Naruto…probably better than he knows himself. I know all his powers, all his secrets. You can't judge him, you see, I know his character. He wouldn't do anything without a good reason. I know that. I trust him."

Hinata obviously understood, but was confused at the same time. "How can you know him like that?" She asked, and Brandon shrugged.

"The same way that I know about _you_. The same way I know about Neji, or even Kiba, Choji, Shikimaru, all of the rookie nine…Orochimaru, Tsunade, Jiraiya, and a lot of others. In my previous life, this world was fiction…simply a story. I…I was in love with a fictional character." Brandon whispered, and turned away. His face was red, and Hinata's curiosity was piqued.

"Are you serious?" She asked, and Brandon nodded. "Who was the character?" She asked, wonder and amazement overtaking her.

Brandon continued to look away but then, with obvious struggle, looked at her. "You." He said, and turned his head away quickly and blushed.

Hinata put a hand to her mouth and squeaked in embarrassment. Her face flushed a deep red, but she didn't faint. She eventually giggled, and Brandon looked at her in confusion. "What?" He asked, and she continued to giggle.

"Here I was, worried that you wouldn't like me at all…when you were in love with me in your previous life. And in this one, too!" She whispered, giggling.

Brandon smiled, understanding why it was funny for her. For him, it was embarrassing, but she enjoyed it. "It's true…and Patrick was also in love with someone then." He said, and Hinata gasped.

"Really? He loved Tenten then?" She asked, and Brandon raised his eyebrows.

"Yeah. How did you know about Tenten?" He asked, and Hinata quickly filled him in on the whole afternoon and how Tenten and Patrick became boyfriend and girlfriend. She also told him about Patrick punching through the Heavenly Rotation 'Kaiten'.

Brandon smiled. "In my last life, I shared that bit of information with him. It was our theory." He said, and she nodded.

A soft knock came at the door, and Hiashi said softly, "Hinata, Brandon…It's time for bed."

Hinata said, "Alright Father. I'll be right out."

Brandon and Hinata stood, and he walked her to his door. Before he opened it, though, Hinata gave him a quick kiss…on the lips. Brandon raised his eyebrows in surprise, and Hinata flushed slightly. "Wow." Brandon said, and Hinata giggled.

"Good night to you, too." She replied, and quickly left the room. Even after she and Hiashi shut the door behind them, Brandon stood there, shocked. The light had been turned off, leaving him once more in darkness. He walked over to his bed, a smile on his lips. When he laid down, he smelled Hinata's scent: Lilacs and lavenders. Within moments, her beautiful scent put him in a blissful sleep.

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"_I won't tell them that you were here, Naruto. I respect you a lot…and I look up to you. I don't know why you tried to kill me, but I suspect you wouldn't do it without a good reason…I know that about you. You're one of my heroes, Naruto. You don't know me…but I know you."_, The memory of the pale blond Hyuga's voice played over and over in his head. Naruto Uzumaki was on his bed, sitting up. His head was between his hands, and he was breathing heavily.

'_You're one of my heroes, Naruto.'_ The guy had said. Naruto was shocked. How could he be anyone's hero? He had never met this guy before, but the Hyuga knew about him and respected him. Most of all…the Hyuga had faith in him. He had said that he knew Naruto wouldn't do anything without a good reason…and that had shaken Naruto badly. This boy had more faith in him than a lot of others…and they had never met.

And…Naruto hadn't done it for a good reason. It was a selfish, evil reason, and he was ashamed of his actions now. How could he have done that…and what would Hinata think of him now? He would have to confront he Hyuga tomorrow…to talk to him. Find him, talk to him…and apologize to him, as well as Hinata.

He lay back on his bed, still in his jumpsuit, and put his hands behind his head. He would need some sleep…to relax before he found and talked to the newcomer Hyuga.

-----------

Patrick was standing a bit away from Ichiraku's and it was well after 1:00 in the afternoon. He had been waiting for a while, but he hadn't expected Brandon to really wake up today. But, just to be sure, he came anyway. He was surprised to see Naruto Uzumaki eating Ramen in the hut, and he was observing the Maverick Ninja before he talked to him.

Naruto slurped away at his second bowl of Ramen, and Patrick walked up to him, coughing slightly to gain Naruto's attention. Naruto finished his mouthful, and then turned, wary of Patrick. Patrick smiled and bowed respectfully. "Naruto Uzumaki?" He asked, and Naruto raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, that's me." Naruto replied, and spun on his seat to better see this new stranger.

"I'm a Chunin by the name of Patrick Frinizaki. It's a pleasure to meet your acquaintance." Patrick said, and Naruto smiled.

"Naruto Uzumaki, recently graduated Chunin, at your service!" Naruto grinned and said.

"May I sit? I apologize for interrupting your meal." Patrick said, and Naruto nodded.

"Sure. But, the old man gets touchy when you just sit and you don't buy any Ramen." Naruto warned, and got back to his bowl.

The old man in question was giving Patrick a look meant to make him feel welcome, but it didn't. "Hi. I'll take a bowl of Miso." Patrick said, and the man nodded. He turned away and started to prepare the bowl, and Patrick turned back to Naruto.

"It's been a dream of mine, for a long time, to meet you Naruto. You're one of my heroes." Patrick said, and Naruto stopped slurping at his Ramen.

Naruto turned to him, a look of confusion as well as wariness on his face. "Really? Why?" Naruto asked slowly. He was thrown off guard. Now he knew of two people who he was a hero to, and both he had never met before.

"Well, your dream to be Hokage is an awesome one…one that I don't doubt you'll achieve. And, your sheer determination is amazing. Your strength, your speed…and your dedication are all awesome. You're one of my role models. When I go through tough times, I think, '_What would Naruto Uzumaki do?'_." Patrick said, and Naruto was looking at him with surprise. Patrick was trying to remain completely honest, without bringing up Naruto's true history.

Then Patrick realized he could let Naruto know he knew without really giving it away. So, he tried. "Well, that and the fact that you survived everything you went through when you were younger because of your…condition." Naruto froze, shocked at Patrick's knowledge of his Demon.

"It's really admirable at how you handle it. All the stress, everything…it's amazing." He said, and Naruto's face formed into a glare. Naruto rushed him, faster than he could react to, and slammed him and pinned him to the wall of Ichiraku's. Naruto's forearm was held up against Patrick's throat, choking him, and he held Patrick off the ground a few feet. Fear enveloped Patrick, and he choked out a gasp of pain.

"How do you know about it?" Naruto hissed, and Patrick kicked uselessly, trying to touch the ground.

"Tell me!" Naruto growled, pushing harder against Patrick's throat. Patrick's eyes went wide, and he tried to speak, but couldn't. He made a strangled, croaking noise and desperately clawed at Naruto's forearm to make him let go. Patrick couldn't breath, and he desperately tried to get free. However, Naruto's strength was inhuman…and he knew he was a goner unless he got lucky.

"Naruto-kun!" yelled a familiar voice, and Naruto turned his head towards the voice.

"Hinata?" Naruto asked, and then was struck and thrown aside by none other than Brandon. Patrick fell to the ground, gasping and coughing, trying to refill his deprived lungs. Naruto went flying, and Hinata gasped as he tumbled out into the middle of the street.

Brandon knelt by Patrick, a hand on Patrick's shoulder, and turned to Hinata. "Could you help him like you helped me last night?" He asked, and Hinata nodded and quickly performed the healing Jutsu.

"What in the world?" Asked the old man, holding a bowl of Miso Ramen for Patrick. He had missed the whole thing, until Hinata had yelled.

Naruto picked himself up off the ground, angry. Brandon addressed him, cold anger audible in his voice. "I respect you, Naruto…but all that goes out the window when you attack someone precious to me. If you so much as lay a hand on Patrick, I'll make sure that I inflict a wound that only you can recover from." His threat, and the emphasis on his last sentence made Naruto freeze.

"You know, too?" Naruto asked, confused. Two new people, who both stated he was their hero, both knew of the Kyubi within him.

"Yeah, I know." Brandon said, and helped Patrick off the ground. Patrick dusted himself off, and glared at Naruto. "Well, there goes my respect for you." Said Patrick, clearly wanting to rip Naruto's head off.

Hinata was standing close to Brandon, and Naruto noticed it. Not a friendly close…but an almost intimate lover close. They weren't quite touching, but there was hardly an space between them. Naruto narrowed his eyes as jealousy erupted inside of him, but he kept it under control.

"I…I'm sorry. I was worried that you might do something to me. I was worried you might tell people or you might want the power of the Kyubi for yourself." Naruto said, and walked towards them. Patrick flinched, but stood his ground, and Hinata gazed at Naruto with fondness…but sadness in her eyes.

"Naruto-kun…" Was all she said, but she had a tone of sympathy in her voice. She had no idea what they were talking about, but she knew that whatever it was, it was the cause of Naruto's suffering for the past fifteen years.

Naruto looked at her, a longing in his eyes. "Hinata…I'm sorry." He said, and she knew he was talking about last night.

"You shouldn't be apologizing to me…" She murmured, and Naruto turned to Brandon. Brandon was wearing the same clothing, but they had been cleaned before he came. His right arm was wound up in clean white bandages, and his clothing was clean and without blemish. The golden medallion on his chest glinted in the sunlight, and Naruto quickly glanced at it.

He then looked at Brandon, locking gazes with him and spoke. "I…I am sorry. I was acting rashly…selfishly. I had no real good reason to attack you, as you thought I did. I was simply…" Naruto glanced quickly at Hinata and then continued. "I was jealous and angry. I just…I couldn't understand." He said, and Brandon knew what was happening. He was going to tell Hinata about his feelings.

Naruto turned to Hinata and blurted out, "I have feelings for you, Hinata. I was going to tell you…but I was working up the courage, and then you stopped talking to me. I…I really, really like you Hinata."

Hinata turned red, and her mouth fell open in shock. Brandon stepped backwards slightly, away from the two so that they could deal with their problems, and turned to Patrick. Patrick was happily slurping Ramen, and complimenting the Old man of Ichiraku's on the superb flavor. The old man smiled and chuckled, and went back to work.

Brandon sat next to Patrick and tried to ignore what Hinata and Naruto were saying. It wasn't meant for his ears. He looked at Patrick and whispered. "Where and when?"

Patrick slurped happily on his noodles, chewing and swallowing, and brandished his chop-sticks with flair. He spoke after he swallowed his noodles, and smiled with a crazy glint in his eyes. "Somewhere with meaning…after I'm done with this." He replied, and Brandon grinned.

"Fine with me. Let me tell Hina-chan." He said, and Patrick coughed.

"You're already calling her Hina-chan? How do you know she won't fall for Naruto again, now that he's told her he likes her?" Patrick asked, and Brandon shrugged.

"She kissed me last night." He said, and Patrick raised an eyebrow.

"Hm. That's not exactly a guarantee, but whatever." He said, and dug back into his bowl.

Brandon heard a soft murmur from Hinata, and Naruto mumbled back a reply. He couldn't hear, and he didn't want too. If Hinata loved Naruto, then he would step aside. He cared for Hinata…and wouldn't stop her from going after someone she truly loved.

He felt a hand on his left shoulder, and turned and saw Patrick with a soft smile of encouragement. "Don't worry dude. I think she really likes you. Now…plan our battle. Where do you want to do it?"

"I was thinking about the Central lookout tower where the Third Hokage died." Naruto murmured, and Patrick shrugged.

" That would be _okay_…but I was hoping for something _great_." Patrick said, and Brandon laughed.

"We could battle in the Chunin Exam stadium, or…."Brandon trailed off as an idea struck him.

Patrick picked up on it and raised an eyebrow. "Or what?"

"OR we could battle at the Valley of the End." Brandon said, and Patrick grinned.

"Oh yeah. Most definitely." Patrick said.

"But, I don't want to travel everywhere. I want to do it immediately…not after a days worth of travel." Brandon said, and Patrick nodded.

"You're right. I guess the Lookout Tower will do fine." Patrick sighed, and Brandon nodded.

"It's settled then." Brandon said, and then stood. He walked over slightly towards Hinata and Naruto, and saw tears flowing down Hinata's face. They weren't tears of joy, but of sadness.

Naruto was obviously as sad as she was, and they both stood silently with their heads lowered. They were whispering, and then they stopped when Naruto noticed Brandon.

"Hinata?" Brandon asked, concerned.

She looked at him, hastily wiping away the tears. "I'm okay." She said, sniffling.

"No you're not." Brandon said softly, smiling understandingly. She gave him a sad smile that indicated he was right, and then she turned back to Naruto.

"I'm sorry Naruto-kun. My place…my only place…is with Brandon-kun." She said, and Naruto nodded glumly.

"I understand, Hinata. I'm sorry as well." He said, and turned to walk away.

"Naruto…" Brandon said, and Naruto turned to him with an almost bitter look on his face.

"Yes?" He asked, and Brandon smiled. "You never finished your Ramen."

Naruto smiled and walked back to the hut to finish his Ramen, and Hinata went to follow. As she walked past Brandon, he stopped her with a hand on her shoulder, gently halting her. She looked at him, tears still in her eyes.

"Hinata…I'm not going to pry in and ask what you said. It's not my business. But…I want you to know something." He said, and looked deep into her lavender eyes. He gently wiped away her tears and whispered, "I don't want to ever see you hurt. I will protect you…sacrifice everything I am and everything I have for you. I want you to be happy…and I love you. If you still love Naruto, go and be with him. If you're not happy…if you don't love me like him, I'm fine with that." He smiled, showing her that he was sincere. "If you want to be with him…then be with him, regardless of promises made by our parents. I just want you to be happy…" He said.

She looked up at him, because he was a few inches taller than her, and hugged him. She put her head on his shoulder and whispered into his ear. Her warm breath tickled his skin, and he felt lightheaded as her skin touched his. "I…am completely yours. When you came into my life, simply as a story, I felt drawn to you. When I first saw you, I knew that you were special. And now…now I know you're my life. Without you, I can't be whole…I can't not love you. You have my heart in your hands…my very life is in your hands. I love you…more than I love life. If you're not happy, I'm not happy. If you're hurt, I'm hurt." She paused…and she blushed as she realized all the things she was saying. She continued, drawing strength from his solidity. He was like a rock, an anchor that would hold her and that she could be strengthened from. "Brandon. I want to marry you…to be your wife, your lover. I want to…to bear your children and to be at your side from now until everything ends." She whispered, and she felt faint.

He held her, happy beyond belief, and both of their breathing was shallow in excitement. She was aware of how tight together their bodies were pressed, and the pressure of his hands. His hands were around her waist and on her lower back, and her hands were on his back. She could feel his muscular back, solid yet soft. "Hina-chan…all I need from you is one word. I will do anything for you, all you have to do is say what. Just one word from you, and I would give everything. I love you so much." He whispered, and she shivered in ecstasy.

She removed her head from his shoulder and looked into his eyes, and waited for a moment. He didn't disappoint. He slowly lowered his lips towards hers, and then stopped a fraction of an inch from her. He was seeing if she wanted this like he did. She did, and her lips met his. It was a brief, soft feathery kiss that was just meant to show their affection, not turn into a fiery passion.

They had their eyes open, gazing at each other…staring deep into each other's souls. They saw purity, love, dedication and loyalty, humility, as well as strength hidden in each other's souls. They broke from the kiss, aware that they were kissing in plain site, on one of the main streets of Konoha. They blushed in embarrassment and also broke from their hug. "Hina-chan…will you come with Patrick and I?" He asked, and she looked at him questioningly.

"Come with you where?" She asked, and Brandon smiled.

"We're going to the Central Lookout Tower, where the Third Hokage died. We're going to have our rivalry battle. And believe me, it's not something you'll want to miss." He said, and she smiled.

"Of course I'll come." She said.

Brandon's smile grew wider. "Good. I'll see if Patrick is done with his Ramen yet…and then we'll leave." He said, and Hinata nodded in reply.

Brandon walked into Ichiraku's, Hinata at his side, and Patrick turned to him. "Naruto's going to come with us and watch our battle. What about Hinata?" Patrick said, and Brandon nodded.

"Yeah, she's coming with us as well. Are you ready?" He asked, and Patrick and Naruto nodded.

"Naruto…when we're done with our battle…Patrick and I will tell you and Hinata how we know so much about you." Brandon said, and Naruto nodded, gulping visibly.

"Don't worry. If you don't want Hinata to know about _that_, I won't tell her." Brandon reassured him, and Naruto nodded.

Naruto and Patrick paid for their Ramen, and together they all walked towards the Central Lookout Tower. Hinata and Brandon walked close together, their arms touching, love soaring in their hearts.

THE END OF THIS CHAPTER! Obviously, lol. I'd appreciate reviews, if you have anything to say at all. So, Chapter 8 will be the rivalry battle. So…WOOOHOOO!


	8. Chap 8: Eternal Rivals Forever Friends

Dimension Switch…ENTER NARUTO!

Chapter 8: Eternal Rivals…Forever Friends!

Not one word was spoken on the journey to the Central Viewing Tower. When they had finally reached the Tower, the only words Brandon spoke was to tell Hinata and Naruto to be careful. Things could get dangerous and he might not be able to stop his attacks if Patrick jumped out of the way. They needed to stand on the sides, and be careful.

Hinata and Naruto stood, watching as the hot afternoon sun beat down on the two figures that stretched at opposite sides of the tower top. They limbered up, taking their time, preparing strategies and getting lost in their thoughts.

Brandon had no idea what kind of Jutsu that Patrick possessed, but Patrick knew a large amount of Brandon's moves. It was a disadvantage being a Hyuga when going against Patrick, because he would know to be careful with close hand-to-hand combat. However, Brandon had made sure to learn at least one medium to long distance Jutsu.

Finally, after ten minutes of warming up and making sure they were completely ready, they stared at each other. They were a good twenty to forty yards away from each other. They stood, arms at their sides, relaxed but wary and ready.

The silence was thick, apprehensive and dangerous…but at the same time, it had a light-hearted tone to it. Hinata activated her Byakugan, watching and examining both of the rivals. She gaped in awe and shock. She then looked at Naruto, and compared the three Shinobi's Chakra coils. Naruto's was the largest, but Patrick and Brandon's were not that far behind. They all possessed inhuman amounts of Chakra.

Hinata gulped, and then Patrick broke the silence. "Wow…so you have a lot of Chakra too." He stated calmly, and Brandon nodded. Brandon activated his Byakugan without hand-signs, and examined Patrick's.

"Ah. You made sure to prepare." Was all Brandon said, and Patrick nodded. Patrick knew they would spar, knew they would fight, and he wanted it to last.

"So…are you ready?" Patrick asked, and a trickle of sweat slowly wandered down the side of his face.

Brandon nodded. "Yes. No more talk. Now, come!" He ordered, stern and ready.

Brandon and Patrick readied themselves, putting on a show for each other's benefits. Their Chakra flared as they molded it in preparations, and Hinata felt the air grow heavy. _Physically_ heavy. The energy that was pouring from both of the boys was like an aura that compressed the air around them. She could feel the pressure on her skin, and Naruto gaped. "They're strong." Was all he said, and Hinata nodded. She was watching as Patrick's Chakra flared, signaling that his Chakra was completely ready and prepped for a good number of attacks. Brandon's did the same.

Patrick yelled, grinning, "Raiton: Leaping Thunder Jutsu!"

Thunder pealed, even though the sky was clear, and Patrick blinked out of existence. He had used no hand-seals. Lightning struck at Brandon, and Brandon leapt aside, rendering the attack useless. However, it was not _just_ an attack. As the thunder pealed, and the ground shook, Patrick appeared where the bolt had struck. He jumped at Brandon, fist cocked back. Brandon didn't even bat an eyelash in surprise.

Patrick was halted in midair as he felt a set of hands grab his feet, and he jerked to a stop and hit the tiled roof hard. A second Brandon was holding his feet, and he kicked out at it. His kick was blocked, by a third Brandon, and then a fourth appeared and attempted to do a diving elbow on Patrick.

'_Shadow Clones. Crap._'Patrick thought, and thrashed violently, freeing himself from the Shadow Clone Brandon's grip. He rolled aside, and the Shadow Clone that performed the Diving Elbow puffed into non-existence as Brandon detonated it.

Patrick flipped to his feet, quickly jabbing out at the closest Shadow Clone, and punched the Byakugan-less clone in the throat. The clone disappeared in a puff of smoke, and Patrick dodged a Jyuken fist aimed at his chest. He ducked, punched the clone in the gut, and then rose while the arm was still extended. While he rose, he kicked the clone in the gut and then performed an uppercut. The clone detonated, leaving only one Brandon. He was grinning, but with his Byakugan activated, it made it look like a sinister face.

"So, you chose Boxer Style. Interesting. And that Thunder Jutsu, that's a good one. Nice." Brandon said, and with fluid grace he took off his shirt. The golden medallion glinted on his white chest, and Patrick grinned. He took of his 'Gi' top as well, and Brandon grinned. For a stick-boy, Patrick had muscles. Brandon wasn't ripped, but he was well-muscled.

"Nice Shadow Clones. I didn't think you would choose that one." Patrick replied, and Brandon nodded. He replied, "I enjoyed Naruto's use with them, so I decided I could always do the same things."

Naruto raised an eyebrow, surprised. However, what surprised him more was that Hinata seemed troubled. "What is it, Hinata?" Naruto whispered.

"They're both…attacking. They're standing still, but their Chakra is spiking like they're attacking each other, but no attacks have been formed really." She muttered, and Naruto made a confused face.

Suddenly, ten Patrick's appeared, as well as ten Brandon's. All eleven Patrick's and eleven Brandon's charged, but all the Brandon's focused on one Patrick. Patrick realized his mistake, he had forgotten for a moment that the Byakugan could easily tell the difference between simple Clones and the real self.

Patrick cursed as he quickly performed a Jutsu while dodging eleven Jyuken strikes. "Poison Gas!" He yelled, and immediately opened his mouth. Purple gas was expelled from his mouth, and all eleven of the Brandon's were enveloped in the gas cloud. The false Patrick's disappeared, and the real Patrick jumped backwards to give himself some room.

Hinata gasped. "That's what they were doing! They weren't attacking really! They had moves specifically planned out, and were molding their Chakra and keeping it ready while forming another attack. They know the cost of each move on their Chakra, and have formed attacks accordingly. It's only something advanced ninja can do, and even for them it's hard."

Naruto gaped, and watched as eleven Brandon's jumped out of the poison cloud, hacking and coughing, and then disappeared in puffs of smoke. All were shadow clones. Patrick ducked as the real Brandon jumped at Patrick from behind, and struck at his head. The punch missed, and Patrick quickly righted himself and struck at Brandon's exposed back.

Brandon, with the Byakugan allowing him to see a full 360°, simply blocked with a backwards-kick. Patrick's fist met Brandon's foot, and Patrick growled in pain. Suddenly, Patrick jumped backwards and grabbed a shuriken from his holster. "Shadow Sand-Wrapped Shuriken Clone Jutsu!" He yelled, and sand from the air wrapped around the single shuriken. He threw the Shuriken and formed the Jutsu, and the single sand-wrapped Shuriken expanded into a seemingly solid wall of sand Shuriken. The sand caused the blades to be harder, sharper, and much more deadly.

Brandon spun, facing Patrick, and yelled, "Large Heavenly Palm Rotation!"

He spun in the rotation, expelling blue Chakra from his body, and a large dome of Chakra poured forth. It blasted outwards, causing the shuriken to fall to the ground, useless. A crater, roughly ten yards in diameter, was present when Brandon stopped spinning and the dome disappeared. Smoke rose from the tiled roof, where the tiles had been melted from the Chakra.

Patrick growled and quickly formed several hand Seals and formed his Jutsu. "Doton: Earth Rising Wall!" He spit out mud from his mouth, which instantly expanded and rose into a wall, and then Brandon performed his own Jutsu.

"Hakke Kushou! Eight Trigrams: Empty Air Palm!" He yelled, and Patrick immediately flew through hand-signs as his wall collapsed from the air/chakra attack.

"Doton! Earth Raging Wave!" He yelled, and slammed his fist into his collapsing wall. The hardened mud wall blasted outwards, crumbling into a wall of dirt. Patrick slammed his secondary fist, his left fist, into the few remaining pieces and yelled, "Doton: Earth Raging Avalanche!"

A larger Wave, and much more deadly, blasted up above the first wave, performing a two-wave synchronous attack. Brandon muttered, "Geez. Overkill." Then, as the waves reached him, he unleashed his Rotation again.

Patrick disappeared from view, and as Brandon was still spinning off the wave attack, his hand broke through the surface of the tiles at Brandon's feet and grabbed his ankle. Brandon stopped spinning, and was quickly yanked under the ground up to his neck. "Doton: Head Hunter Jutsu!" Patrick yelled, and popped up through the dirt.

The dirt wave was over, but Brandon was relatively unharmed. Brandon sighed and did the signature Shikimaru sigh. "Troublesome."

Brandon unleashed his Chakra yet again, and attempted to use his Rotation. Patrick punched at it, attempting to break through. However, as his hand touched the wall of Chakra, his arm all the way up to his elbow went numb. He stumbled backwards, away from the dome of Chakra that freed Brandon.

"What was that?" Patrick asked in shock.

"Raiton: Lightning Palm Rotation." Brandon said, and climbed out of the hole he created. Patrick was nursing his useless arm, and Brandon grinned. "You didn't think I wouldn't have a back-up plan that would keep you from punching through, did you?"

Patrick glared and cursed. "Dang. I just wasn't expecting this. Now I can't use seals."

"Not unless you know the moves that require single-hand seals." Brandon stated, and quickly put his right hand downwards, mimicking the Chidori stance.

"Raiton: Leaping Thunder-god Divine Spear!" He yelled, and Patrick's eyes widened. _'Aw, Crap!'_ He thought.

Golden energy crackled into existence around Brandon's hand, and then formed into a live Lightning Spear. Brandon raised the spear and threw it at Patrick, who dodged. Brandon, as soon as the spear left his hand, brought up his hand into the 'half-sign' of the Ram and yelled, "Katsu!"

Patrick was stunned by electrical energy and the blast as the spear exploded, throwing him through the air. He hadn't anticipated a blast. He tumbled through the air, desperately trying to control his spin so he would land on his feet. He landed on his extended left hand instead, cutting it on the tiled roof, and then tumbled backwards head-over-heels. He managed to roll to a stand, and quickly grabbed several Shuriken with his left hand. Blood coated his fingers as he threw the shuriken at Brandon, and he realized he needed to buy time for his right arm to regain feeling.

Brandon dodged the shuriken with a fluid and graceful spin, causing the shuriken to just barely miss him. Patrick threw more, desperately trying to keep Brandon back until he could regain feeling in his right hand.

Brandon dodged the shuriken again, easily ducking underneath them. He then jumped at Patrick, instantly creating several Shadow Clones in front of him when Patrick threw more shuriken at him. The Shuriken pierced the clones, causing the clones to detonate. Patrick couldn't stall for any more time as Brandon appeared through the white smoke, and quickly yelled, "8 Trigrams: 64 Palms!"

Patrick cursed as Brandon landed, slipped into the stance, and attacked Patrick in less than a second. He was fast. Patrick leapt backwards, using the momentum of Brandon's strike to help push him out of the way of the 64 palms. The 64 palms relied on the momentum the user gained to push and attack the opponent, and if he could get far enough away the attack would be disrupted.

His plan succeeded, and his arm regained feeling right as he landed in a crouch. He quickly formed hand-seals, knowing he had very little time. "Doton: Earth Armor!" He yelled, and immediately dirt and dust and sand from his previous attacks crawled up his body. Brandon didn't attack, he just watched in interest.

Hinata and Naruto watched as the brown dirt crawled up Patrick's body and solidified as it went, and Hinata quietly narrated what she could see about it's abilities that Naruto couldn't see. "The armor, besides the obvious physical protection, is coursing with Chakra. It will absorb Chakra, Neji says, but only a fixed amount."

Brandon seemed to be trying to figure out its weakness, and Patrick knew Brandon would think of it sooner or later, so he attacked. He lunged in, attempting to keep Brandon's mind on hand-to-hand combat instead of solving the mystery of the armor.

Brandon grabbed his fist, flat-palmed, and then blocked a kick. He attempted to unleash chakra from a chakra portal in his palm into Patrick's fist. Brandon observed how the Chakra flowed into the armor, charging it and keeping it from harming the wearer. He observed, in split seconds, how the armor seemed to take a short while to disperse the Chakra, and how the loaded section seemed to weaken for a short bit. Bingo.

Patrick withdrew his fist, and attempted to punch Brandon again. Brandon blocked the punch again in the same way, and proceeded to take the initiative. He melded his attack style with a completely unknown one, making it a Jyuken blend. It focused on the hands, but there were flips and kicks thrown in along with flat palmed fluid movements that patterned a type of Tai Chi. Brandon moved, fluid and keeping his movements connected in a chain that resembled a dance, striking using his palms and high-aimed kicks.

Patrick was thrown off, not knowing quite what to make of the attacks even as he blocked them. Kick, spin, punch, palm-thrust, kick, spin, kick, palm-thrust, punch. Brandon moved in a pattern that was fast and deadly, yet slow and graceful in the same way. It was mesmerizing, and that made it dangerous for his opponent. If they got distracted by the movements, they would be as good as done.

Patrick was pushed back, breathing heavily. Brandon was moving non-stop, and Patrick was getting tired from blocking the hard attacks non-stop. The Earth Armor was heavy, and was meant to give Patrick a trump. It wasn't meant to last forever, and Patrick couldn't keep his pace up much longer. He was tiring fast, but Brandon hardly slowed at all.

Finally, Patrick managed to jump backwards, out of Brandon's range. Brandon stopped, smiling. During the fight, in an intentional lull between the chain, he had initiated the Shadow Clone hand seal. He had formed a clone behind Patrick, who was ready when Patrick jumped away.

"Large Heavenly Palm Rotation!" The Shadow Clone Brandon yelled, from two feet behind Patrick. Patrick cursed as he spun, attempting to strike at the clone before the Rotation kicked in. He was too slow.

His fist met the Chakra wall as it exploded outwards with a wild force. Chakra overloaded his earth armor and ripped it off, and Patrick flew through the air in an uncontrolled spin. He landed on the tiles with his head, and tumbled away from both Brandon's.

He quickly picked himself up, groaning slightly in pain as he felt the new wounds on his body. The tiles had cut him, and the Palm Rotation had burned him slightly. But, he quickly formed hand seals and breathed in deeply. "KATON: Fire Dragon Flame Blast!" He yelled, exhaling.

Fire erupted from his lips, a large stream blasting towards both Brandon's. The Shadow Clone jumped behind the real Brandon, and the real Brandon performed Rotation. The fire met the chakra wall and took it in, making it harmless.

Patrick stopped, and watched as the one he had thought was real disappear in a puff of smoke. '_Okay, I guess this is the real one. Gotta keep on my toes.'_ Patrick thought, and watched as Brandon formed two hand seals. _'Ram, Hare. What Jutsu is this?'_ Patrick wondered.

"Gentle Fist Fusion: Art of the Lightning Fist! RAIKEN!" Brandon yelled, and Patrick brought up his guard. If Brandon came in for hand to hand combat…Patrick wouldn't be able to stop him.

Brandon jumped forwards, and Patrick formed several Shadow Clones. Hopefully with enough clones he could nail Brandon hard enough to knock him out.

Brandon didn't stop, but rushed into the middle of the clones. All of them attacked at once, but Brandon didn't block. As soon as their fists or legs made contact with his body, their limbs went numb. All of the Shadow Clones detonated, and Patrick fell to the ground. His right leg was numb.

Brandon walked over, and spoke. "This is the same Jutsu I used to kill my father. But…I won't kill you. If I wanted to kill you, I would put my hand on you and surge enough electricity to destroy all your inner organs and kill you suddenly and without pain."

Patrick panted as he realized he was defeated, and raised his hands. "I yield." He sighed, and Brandon closed his eyes. When he reopened his eyes, the veins around his eyes disappeared. He had deactivated his Jutsu and his Byakugan.

Brandon held out his right hand to help Patrick up, and Patrick took it. They both laughed as they strained to get Patrick on his feet, and Patrick managed to stand straight. "I guess I lose this time. That was awesome." Patrick complimented, and Brandon grinned.

"You did awesome, too. I was surprised at the wide spectrum of your attacks. And that Earth Armor was cool." Brandon complimented back.

Brandon walked, while Patrick limped, towards Naruto and Hinata. Naruto and Hinata handed the two teenagers their discarded shirts, but the two boys waited on re-clothing themselves.

"That was amazing!" Naruto cried out, pumping his fist in the air.

"I have to admit…you're both stronger than anyone I've ever seen. You could probably stand up to my father." Hinata murmured shyly to Brandon.

Brandon shook his head. "No…your father knows many more things than I do. I would probably lose within five minutes at the most."

Hinata hugged him suddenly, and everyone raised an eyebrow in response. Brandon blushed. "You're much too modest." Hinata murmured into Brandon's ear.

Patrick stood off to the side, his back to Brandon. "Hey Brandon…y'know how Naruto and Sasuke faced off: Chidori versus Rasengan?" He asked, and Brandon turned to his friend.

"Yeah…you want to?" Brandon asked simply. He figured it might come up with Patrick…who loved high-caliber Jutsu.

"I chose Rasengan…what was yours?" Patrick replied, turning to Brandon. His eyes held determination…and they were half-squinted.

"I chose Chidori…it seemed only right." Brandon replied.

"Good. This is the ultimate test." Patrick said, and Brandon looked at Hinata and Naruto.

"I'd get back." He said, and Naruto took Hinata's arm and guided her further away.

"Patrick…this is dangerous. You don't have Naruto's regenerative abilities." Brandon said, concern thick in his voice.

Patrick tossed his shirt aside, and nodded. "I know. But you don't have any healing Jutsu like Kabuto. _YOU_ might not survive."

Brandon nodded, and put his hand in the seal of the Ox. "Shall we?" He asked.

Patrick nodded, his eyes holding a steely resolve that would have made Sasuke flinch. "Eternal Rivals…" He said. Brandon knew the phrase…and complied with the unspoken request. Naruto and Hinata watched as Patrick formed Rasengan single-handedly. He held it off to the side, his right hand pulsing in blue color due to the orb.

'_Ox, Hare, Monkey. LIGHTNING BLADE!_', Brandon thought. He moved his feet a bit wider than shoulder's width apart, and put his right hand down between his legs in front of him. He activated his Byakugan, so he could observe all around him while their attack went on. In case Hinata needed help. Blue energy and Chakra erupted from his hand, forming the crackling Lightning blade.

"Forever Friends!" Brandon yelled, and Patrick nodded.

"BRANDOOOOONNNN!" Patrick yelled, and the Rasengan grew more powerful as he fueled it with Chakra. The swirling of Chakra increased, and the glow increased.

Brandon gritted his teeth. He burst more Chakra through his hand, using flesh activation…and charged his Raikiri even more. "PATRIIIIIIIIIICK!" He yelled in response. They were mimicking Naruto and Sasuke's cries that they did before they clashed. It was time.

They moved at the same time, jumping forward. Each of them pulled back their right arms, Jutsu ready. Brandon could see several forms fast approaching them from the west, to their right, and he knew it was most likely ANBU. To the left, the east, stood Naruto and Hinata watching with guarded expressions. Hinata's Byakugan was activated, watching clearly. And in front of Brandon, to the south, was Patrick. Patrick's face was drawn in a fierce and angry glare, and Brandon knew that he looked just like Patrick. They both yelled as they drew near each other within seconds, and thrust their arms at each other. 

"RRRRRAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" They yelled, and then the Rasengan and Chidori collided.

A blue explosion took place, Chakra exploding from the contact between the Rasengan and Chidori. Wave after wave after wave buffeted Patrick, Brandon, and even Naruto and Hinata. The wind whipped up suddenly, blowing their hair and clothes wildly all around them. Brandon and Patrick stood toe to toe, Chidori to Rasengan, a mere foot away from each other. Their gazes were locked, even through the blinding light and fierce and burning Chakra wind. 

Brandon could see Patrick pushing all of the Chakra he could into the orb, trying to maintain it…and he knew this battle might last a little while. His own Chakra was being forced out at a rapid rate, fueling the Lightning Blade. Brandon gritted his teeth as the sharp wind from the Rasengan cut his face, making small cuts on his cheeks and forehead. Patrick was protected mostly from the Chidori's electric arcs, due to the Rasengan, but he was still zapped from time to time.

Neither of them broke their gazes, through the massive storm of energy that was erupting from their hands. The wind was massive now, threatening to blow them apart. Their clothing whipped viciously around them, and their hair was being blown just as violently. 

"BRRAAAANDOOOOON!" Patrick yelled, using his anger to fuel their battle. His lips were drawn back, baring his teeth. Brandon felt his determination match Patrick's own…and glared right back.

"PATRIIIIIIIIIIIIICK!" He yelled back, though their voices were lost as easily as a whisper in a hurricane. The roar of the Rasengan and Chidori meeting drowned out everything, except their thoughts. The only thing in their thoughts, however, was victory.

Deeper gashes cut into Brandon's forearms and biceps and revealed upper torso. Their gazes didn't waver as they sensed the end coming upon them. Brandon could see thirty different Ninja to their right. At least half were ANBU, watching the match with concern and amazement at the sight of the two boys. The other half were Jonin and Special Jonin, and one Hokage. Tsunade watched, with a guarded and careful expression. Everyone was being buffeted by the extreme wind, and Brandon watched as Hinata and Naruto struggled against the wind. They were closer than the thirty other ninja, so they were having a hard time staying upright.

The end came upon them swiftly, but both Patrick and Brandon were expecting it. With a supernova-like explosion, the Chidori and Rasengan gave out. Patrick and Brandon were thrown backwards through the air like rag dolls, whirling and tumbling in an uncontrolled spin.

Tsunade and the thirty ninja watched as Patrick and Brandon soared through the air, and Hinata and Naruto gaped as they both watched the two unable to control their flight. Patrick landed first, landing so hard on the yellow tiles that he lost his breath. As he rolled, he was cut and gashed by the sharp tiles. Blood spattered the roofing, and Patrick would have cried out in pain if he had been able. He rolled to a stop, and tears filled his eyes. His breath came back in a rush, and he gasped in pain as he bled from the gashes. He raised his head, looking for Brandon.

Brandon landed close to the edge of the roof…and Hinata ran towards him as soon as she realized how close he would land. He ended up being cut up and ripped into by the tiles just as badly as Patrick, but he managed to scream in pain. He had landed too close to the edge…everyone could see that plainly. Hinata and Naruto were running towards Brandon's tumbling form. Patrick struggled to drag himself into a kneeling position, and yelled his friends name in anguish. "BRANDON!"

Brandon reached the edge of the roof, still rolling, and he knew that he would end up falling. He wildly lashed out with his hands, trying to stop himself, and he managed to catch the very edge with his bloody right hand. It was bloody, because of Patrick's Rasengan.

His body fell off the edge of the building, dangling hundreds of feet above the ground…and he felt his heart jump into his throat. The only thing that kept him from plummeting down to his death…was his slick and bloody right hand. He heard Hinata and Naruto yell his name, and his eyes grew wide as two of his five fingers lost their grip. 

Hinata and Naruto appeared at the edge, on their knees, and immediately grabbed onto his bloody hand. Naruto lost his grip immediately and fell backwards because he pulled too hard, leaving only Hinata holding onto Brandon.

Her pale-lavender eyes were wide with worry, and tears were starting to form. Brandon and Hinata locked gazes…and another finger lost its grip. His Chakra was mostly used up…so using it to try to stick to the surface of the building wouldn't help at all. "Brandon." She whispered fiercely, holding his slick arm tightly.

"Hinata…" Brandon gasped out. Blood was coating his body, streaming from the cuts he had received.

Brandon's second finger slipped…and he was on his last finger grip. His first finger was all that was left before he became dead-weight to Hinata and dragged her over with him. "Hinata. Let go!" He said, and Hinata shook her head.

"NO!" She cried fiercely, and Brandon watched as Naruto got to his feet and grabbed Brandon's arm again.

"Come on, Damnit!" Naruto cursed, and looked over his shoulder. "COME ON AND HELP!" He yelled over his shoulder.

Several Anbu and several other Ninja appeared at the edge, using Chakra to adhere themselves to the building so they wouldn't fall. They reached out and hoisted Brandon up onto the roof…safe. Brandon lay on his back, breathing heavily. His heart was pounding…and adrenaline was coursing through his body. 

Patrick had been helped up by an ANBU, and was now hobbling over to Brandon. "Brandon! Are you okay?" He asked, and Brandon noticed how bloody and dirty they both were.

"I'd say we're both on the same level of 'okay'." Brandon replied, and his Byakugan deactivated due to lack of Chakra. He felt exhaustion swamp him suddenly, and he sighed. Hinata let go of his arm, only to end up embracing him.

"You're going to get blood on your clothes!" Brandon protested, but she held on to him even tighter. She buried her head in the crook of his neck, and her long indigo hair spilled over his body. He felt warm tear drops fall on his neck, and he heard her sniffle slightly. He raised his bloody arms, and gently wrapped them around her.

"Sh, sh, sh, sh. It's okay." He murmured into her ear, and he regretted that his bloody arms got her blue and white hoody jacket dirty. He knew that her black cargo pants were just as scuffed and dirty, and he felt remorse at being the cause of it. Silly…to be remorseful for getting clothes dirty.

"Brandon…you…were so close to falling." She whispered, and planted a wet kiss on his left cheek.

"I know. I'm sorry." He said, and repressed the urge to caress her long soft blue hair. She lifted her head up, looking at him. She stroked his face, and sniffled.

"You both are so beat up…we need to get you to the hospital." She murmured. She helped pull Brandon to his feet, and he leaned slightly on her.

"Not before I get an answer." Came a cold and angry voice. Brandon and Hinata looked over at the owner of the voice, and saw a very angry Tsunade.

"Tsunade-sama…I can explain." Patrick and Brandon both said at the same time. Tsunade shifted her gaze from one of them to the other, and back again.

"Well then…_do_ explain. Explain to me _why_ my day at the office was interrupted by several ANBU who saw a Jutsu battle taking place on the _Central_ Lookout Tower, who claimed that two ninja were fighting…and one ninja was one of ours, and the other wore no distinguishing headband! Explain _why_ I arrive at the scene to see two ninja engaging in what seemed like a life-or-death battle, using two high-caliber Jutsu that were intended to _kill_. Explain to me…why in the world a new-comer Genin and Hyuga formerly from _Cloud_ would combat a well-respected Leaf Chunin." Tsunade said, and silence overtook the large crowd that was gathered.

Brandon scanned the crowd, and was surprised to see Kakashi, as well as Might Guy and even Neji and Tenten. Kakashi spoke up. "Also…I would like to know how _you_know my one and only unique Ninjutsu: The Lightning Blade."

Brandon sighed. "Oh boy." Patrick said, and Hinata spoke up.

"Brandon and Patrick were having a competition…a friendly rival's battle." She said, directly addressing Tsunade.

Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "A Chidori versus Rasengan…does _not_ seem like a friendly rivalry battle." She retorted, and Brandon grimaced.

"I realize it may not seem like that…but Patrick and I have been friends for a long time. Friends from a previous life, Madame Hokage. I know it sounds far-fetched and strange and completely stupid…but that's the truth. That's how the Hyuga's have me now…thanks to Patrick. And, I learned The Lightning Blade Jutsu from adapting a Jutsu of my own." Brandon said, addressing both Tsunade and Kakashi. It was a minor stretching of the truth.

Kakashi nodded thoughtfully, and Tsunade sighed. "Go to the hospital." She ordered, running her hand through her hair. She was weary from a day's worth of paperwork and the stress of worrying if the village had been under attack.

Brandon and Patrick bowed, and limped away to the edge of the roof. Tenten ran forward, and Patrick smiled at her. "Tenten." He said, and Brandon heard the tenderness in Patrick's voice.

Tenten kissed Patrick quickly on the lips, and then murmured, "That was amazing…the whole battle. But…you look so beat up, it's not even funny. Do you need help getting to the hospital?"

Patrick nodded. "Yeah. Brandon and I exhausted almost all of our Chakra from that Chidori and Rasengan collision."

Tenten glanced at Brandon, who inclined his head respectfully. "Tenten…it's nice to meet you. I'm Brandon Hyuuga." He said, and She bowed back. Neji walked up to them, turning to Hinata and Brandon.

"Do you need assistance?" He asked, his face impassive. Neji wasn't showing any emotion. Brandon smiled at Neji, giddy to meet his favorite Character from the Naruto series. Well, favorite male character at least.

"I am Brandon Hyuuga…it's an honor to meet you, Neji." Brandon said, and bowed. Everyone froze. A main member bowing to the lower Branch member? This…would cause a major upset if the main branch members and the council got wind of it.

Neji was frozen, as well as Hinata, and his eyes were wide with shock. His mouth was gaping wide, and Patrick winced at his friend's reaction to meeting Neji. Brandon got a little carried away.

Neji hastily bowed, making sure it was a deeper bow than Brandon's. Brandon raised an eyebrow skeptically. Hinata was still holding him up slightly, and he sighed. "Neji…I can't bow deeper than that with her holding me. That's cheating." Brandon said. Hinata raised her eyebrows in surprise. Brandon was willingly lowering himself to Neji? A MAIN HOUSE member bowing to a Branch member? Her father would not be pleased.

Neji managed to collect his wits about him, and stammer out a reply. "W-why would you lower yourself to me?" Everyone was watching with great interest, the Hokage and her accompaniment of other Jonin and ANBU included.

Brandon smiled. "Not only am I of lower rank, a mere Genin compared to your Jonin status…I am also an avid fan of you. Neji Hyuuga, prodigy of the Hyuuga clan…who figured out the Rotation technique on his own! You found the secret without anyone helping you…aside from Tenten of course. But still…you learned most of your moves through your own genius! You're amazing…and to meet you is one of the greatest honors I could ever ask for!" Brandon enthusiastically explained. Then he paused. He put a finger up in the air, as if he had an idea.

"AH! I GOT IT!" He yelled, and promptly let go of Hinata. He collapsed to the ground, and everyone watched, a sweat bead rolling down the sides of their face. He was definitely weird.

Brandon raised himself onto his hands and knees, forehead to the ground. Utmost respect and humility, lowering himself completely to Neji…Brandon had just done something that would cause the Hyuuga council to keep their eyes closely upon him.

Neji rushed forwards and helped Brandon up off the ground. Brandon held tightly onto Neji, his lips close to Neji's ear. He whispered, "And…also because of how well you bear your burden. I don't think I could do something like that. You have more strength than I ever could." Neji froze for a moment, but then the corners of his mouth lifted slightly in a tiny smile…and he assisted Brandon in standing. Hinata and Neji held Brandon up between each other, and Naruto and Tenten held Patrick between them.

Brandon held tightly onto the two Hyuuga holding him as they jumped off the top of the Central Lookout Tower. Tenten and Naruto, with Patrick, followed the two Hyuuga. Brandon and Patrick were too exhausted from using so much of their Chakra…too exhausted to even keep their own heads up. They both passed out, held by their new friends.

Journey sat down, cross-legged, in front of a bowl that held shimmering water. The bowl was a shallow but wide bowl, and it was made from a light brown wood.

He smiled as he saw the two boys, though they were injured and unconscious. He had monitored their fight, and was surprised at their natural fighting abilities. Not all of it had been because of the false memories of training from the Ninja Academy…most of it had been natural to the boys. They were born fighters. He grinned. He, Journey, refused to fight. However, it didn't mean that he couldn't use the boys to fight _for_ him. They would be perfect. And so would their friends.

He closed his eyes, and started to chant. The more he had...the better things would be.

I hope it's a satisfying enough ending for you guys. :D I would appreciate any comments or thoughts that you have about this. Please review. I know that you guys read this, you know. Lol. I get alerts in my email telling me people are adding this story to their favorites. But still, please at least say 'cool' or 'I loved it and I'm looking forward to the next chapter!' or you can leave suggestions or predictions. Or any pairing ideas for characters. Just please, review.


	9. Chapter 9: The Tailed Ones Captain

A/N:

A/N: This series will be continued…regardless of reviews. I want to do this story for my friends, and whether they're reading it or not, it will go on! Eventually I will have a full story…and then I'll force them to read it! BWAHAHA! So, a quick shout out to all my friends who are becoming characters for the stories:

YOU GUYS ROCK FOR LETTING ME USE YOU! ;D

Dimension Switch…ENTER NARUTO!

Chapter 9: The Pawns Advancement

I do not own Naruto, Sony, Microsoft, or Xbox… (Though I do own a PSP, Xbox 360 and a PS2), or any of the game rights or companies mentioned! EVER! Though I do own the games and they're freakin' awesome. :D I also don't own any of Clamp's manga or anime stories. Though I own the first three novels of Tsubasa. :D.

Previously:

Patrick and Brandon: 

Brandon held tightly onto the two Hyuuga holding him as they jumped off the top of the Central Lookout Tower. Tenten and Naruto, with Patrick, followed the two Hyuuga. Brandon and Patrick were too exhausted from using so much of their Chakra…too exhausted to even keep their own heads up. They both passed out, held by their new friends.

JOURNEY:

Journey sat down, cross-legged, in front of a bowl that held shimmering water. The bowl was a shallow but wide bowl, and it was made from a light brown wood.

He smiled as he saw the two boys, though they were injured and unconscious. He had monitored their fight, and was surprised at their natural fighting abilities. Not all of it had been because of the false memories of training from the Ninja Academy…most of it had been natural to the boys. They were born fighters. He grinned. He, Journey, refused to fight. However, it didn't mean that he couldn't use the boys to fight _for_ him. They would be perfect. And so would their friends.

He closed his eyes, and started to chant. The more he had...the better things would be.

The Continuation:

OUR REALM:

1:25 A.M.

Justin and Caleb, spending the night at Justin's house, were up playing PS2. They were in the basement, and Justin and Caleb had just finished a circuit race on Need for Speed: Carbon with their fully customized cars. They sat back, sighing. Brandon and Patrick had decided to spend the night at Patrick's place, so it wasn't as fun as it could have been if they were all together.

Justin put down his black controller next to him on the cheap green leather cushion of the couch that he was sitting on. Caleb, to his left, did likewise. They both stood and stretched. They were getting tired.

Justin, Brandon's younger brother, stretched. He looked nothing like Brandon. While Brandon was a stocky and well built young man with white skin…Justin was a stick boy with muscles and light brown/olive skin. He had a large amount of curly brown hair that was similar to Elijah Woods in Lord of the Rings, which had earned him the gamer name of Frobro. He stood shorter than his older brother, at 5' 5", but he was also faster than his brother. His hazel brown eyes fluctuated colors about every day, from brown to green to hazel again. At the moment, he wore baggy dark blue jeans and a tight black t-shirt, a brown ball cap, and a pair of white socks. He was only 14 years old, 2 and a half years younger than his brother Brandon.

Caleb however…was only one and a half years younger than Brandon. He was 15, going to turn 16 soon. He was 5' 11"…two inches taller than Brandon. He was a stocky young man, solid and very much like a brick wall. He had puffy dark brown hair, that was close-cut but still somewhat unmanageable without gel. He had a thin, about an inch wide, beard that outlined his jaw. Brandon would tease him and call it an Amish beard. He was almost all muscle, hardly any fat at all…and an intimidating guy. His warm brown eyes were kind, but only if you knew him. He didn't look too friendly, but he could be a teddy bear. He was wearing baggy Blue jeans, and a brown t-shirt. He glanced boredly at the television, and sighed. His slightly deep voice sighed out, "What do you think Pat and Brandon are doing?"

Justin glanced at his friend, and then resumed his stretching. He answered in a matching, if not a tad lighter, voice. Brandon and his voices were very similar, in their deepness. "They're probably doing Naruto stuff. Being nerds, and whatnot. Maybe playing Xbox 360." He said.

Caleb nodded. "True." He wasn't one to prolong speech.

Caleb sat again, and Justin did the same. The TV flickered wildly for a minute, earning concerned glances from Caleb and Justin. The TV never flickered. It was in great condition. Justin and Caleb both stood, immediately checking the gaming system and the TV. They found nothing wrong.

Caleb started to stand, and then froze. Justin turned to Caleb, but froze as well when his vision suddenly went all white. Caleb and Brandon both were seeing the same thing…and both of them were frozen as they witnessed it.

Patrick, wielding the Rasengan, thrust his palm out. Patrick had wild black hair, and a scar under his right eye…which was unlike him. But you could still tell it was him. The Rasengan met with Brandon's hand, which was wielding the Lightning Blade, which had also been thrust. Brandon had spiky blond hair…and pale eyes. Veins stood out around his pupil-less eyes and it gave him a menacing look. Caleb and Justin could have sworn they felt the burst of energy and air that surged off the two Jutsu that clashed…and they were practically blinded by the bright blue light that also accompanied the clash of Jutsu.

Then, as soon as it had come, the vision ended. Caleb and Justin both stumbled backwards in shock. Justin panted out, "Dude…I just saw something."

Caleb nodded. "Me too. I saw—what!?" He gasped in shock as a cold tentacle gripped his right leg. The same thing happened to Justin, and both boys tried to escape and jump away from the tentacle that sprouted out of nowhere.

They couldn't break free, and the tentacle suddenly thickened and trapped both of their legs. They fell forward onto their chests, on the hard grey cement floor. They were inches away from each other.

Justin, having watched Tsubasa Resevoir Chronicles anime episodes…immediately recognized this. "No freakin' way. Caleb! Hold your breath and grab my hand! NOW!" Justin ordered, and Caleb complied. Their hands met, and Caleb held tight to his younger friend's hand.

"This is off of an anime…or at least it resembles it. Just go with the flow…and get ready to hold your breath." Justin said, sounding calm despite his hammering heart. The silver stuff spread, becoming a puddle that slowly sucked them down. Caleb and Justin took deep breath's, and met each other's eyes. This was going to be freaky. Suddenly, they were sucked underneath the surface, and they both shut their eyes instinctively as they were submerged in the silvery liquid.

Justin and Caleb both felt like they were in a cold pool of water, sinking slowly…until suddenly they felt like they were both being squeezed through a tiny hole...but it wasn't painful. Just really, really tight.

Suddenly, the next thing Justin and Caleb knew, they were standing on solid ground, hands clasped tightly. Justin and Caleb gasped in shock as the cold presence left their bodies, and instead they were caressed by the warm rays of the sun and a gentle tickle of a breeze. Justin, senses heightened by his fear, immediately felt someone directly behind him. Usually the laid back type, he never overreacted…until this freaky thing happened to him. Being sucked out of his basement wasn't exactly a situation to stay laid back in…so he struck first. He spun, releasing Caleb's hand, and lashed out with his right fist in a close-fisted backhand.

His fist was blocked easily, but he wasn't finished. His right leg also lashed out, aimed at the kneecaps. It was an attack that was lightning quick, yet graceful and fluid, and the person who Justin attacked didn't expect it. With a loud crack, Justin's foot slammed hard into the person's kneecaps. Then, Justin punched with his newly-released right fist, slamming the stunned man in the face.

Justin watched as the man flew backwards with a cry of pain, and Caleb spun in surprise. This had taken a whole 2 seconds, and Caleb was still disoriented from the trip here. "Woah, dude. Chill out." Caleb said, but Justin put his hands up into a guard position.

"Well, you sure as heck aren't Yuko." Justin muttered, as he examined the man he had attacked. The man slowly rose, groaning, and wiped the blood from his pale lips. His skin was pale white, as was his clothing, and his hair was a pale yellow. His ice-blue eyes were glazed in pain, but he still stood. He had difficulty, thanks to Justin's kick, but managed to keep himself upright.

"No…no I'm not Yuko." The man gasped. "I'm just about the opposite of her…principle's wise at least." His eyes lost their glaze, and he stood at his full height, looking quite regal. "My name, is Journey." He stated, and Caleb and Justin exchanged a glance.

"And why did you bring us here?" Justin asked, keeping his guard up. He couldn't chance that this guy was a good guy right off the bat.

Journey waved a hand in the air, and then seemed to pluck a bowl out of thin air and he held it extended towards the boys so they could see into the shimmering liquid. Caleb and Justin slowly advanced, until they could see the liquid. They were surprised to see it glow for a moment, and then it showed Brandon and Patrick as they had seen them in the vision they had before they were sucked down here. However, Brandon and Patrick were both on hospital beds, being treated by…"Medic Ninja…" Justin breathed, and saw Sakura Haruno herself attending to the boys.

"So, what is this?" Caleb asked softly.

"I sent the two to the universe of Naruto…and seeing as all of you are friends, I was going to extend the invitation to you as well. The boys chose to go…and they created their alternate universe characters. I wanted to know if you would be interested in joining your friends." He stated, and then the bowl simply vanished.

"Right now…they're recuperating from a friendly sparring match. They used two high-caliber Jutsu: The Rasengan versus The Chidori." Journey stated, and Justin raised an eyebrow.

"Okay…you got my attention." He said, and lowered his guard.

Patrick was the first one awake. He had been awake for fifteen minutes, just working up the strength to sit up…when Tenten entered the room. She had a faint smile on her soft lips, and Patrick smiled back. He sat up, slowly and painfully, and hissed at the pain from his wounds.

Tenten's smile faded slightly. "Are you okay?" She murmured, as she drew near to him. Patrick winced as the slight throbbing pain rolled through his body…and nodded. "I'll be fine." He grunted, and then glanced to his right.

To the right was another bed…one that held an unconscious Brandon. There were bandages on his face, small ones…and Patrick regretted their battle. But only a little. Those cuts were received from the Rasengan's sharp Chakra…but Patrick had been a little fried by Chidori's lightning currents. Brandon's face was calm, emotionless…and Patrick smiled. Then he returned his attention to Tenten.

"How long was I out?" He murmured, trying to keep his voice low so he wouldn't wake up his friend.

Tenten thought for a moment. "Well…about a day." She said, and Patrick raised his eyebrows. "Woah." He said, and she nodded.

"Yeah. You guys used A LOT of your Chakra. You shouldn't even really be awake. I mean you were completely on empty when it came to Chakra, and here a day later you're conscious." Tenten went on, and Patrick grinned. He had wanted to have a fast-healing body, not as fast as Naruto's…but still fast.

"Yeah…I heal fast though." He said, and she nodded. "Obviously. But I came in to check on you…I didn't expect you to be awake. But I'm glad you are. Now I don't have to worry about you so much." She said, and Patrick grinned.

"You, worried about me? I'm touched…" Patrick grinned, and extended his left arm towards her. She took his left hand in both of hers and allowed him to draw her near. She sat next to him, her body a scant inch from his.

"Of course I worried." She said, looking away slightly and blushing. She looked back at him, a faint red blush across her face. "I've always worried about you…especially when you're hurt. I may not act like it or look like it sometimes…but you're always on my mind."

Patrick brought his right hand up to the side of her face, and gently caressed the soft cheek. She smiled, and he leaned forward and planted a gentle kiss on her lips. "Well thank you…I'm glad that I'm in your thoughts so much." He murmured, and she leaned in and hugged him. They stayed like that for a moment, until they heard a cough coming from the entrance to the hospital room.

Tenten pulled away, and they both looked at the doorway, to see two ANBU standing there. One had a dragon mask, and the other had a dog mask. The Dog masked ANBU was a large, stocky man with visible muscles…and the dragon masked man was a smaller man with a thin frame.

"You're welcome." Tenten whispered, and then stood. "I assume you'll want to speak with him in private?" She asked, and the two men nodded. She cast a wistful glance in Patrick's direction, and then walked out.

The big man shut the hospital door behind her, and then both of them walked forward. "That was a reckless thing to do, Patrick. Fighting in plain sight, out in the middle of the village…with strong Jutsu like that. Especially with how big the explosion was. Not very bright of you…to do something like that." The small man said, and Patrick squinted suspiciously at him. He sounded…familiar.

"Who are you?" Patrick asked.

"Figure it out…Rico." The small man said, and Patrick's eyebrows shot up. The voice, the nickname…it was definitely…

"Justin! What are you doing here?" He asked, and the bigger man laughed. "Hey, it's me too, you idiot." He said, and Patrick smiled.

"Caleb!" He yelled, and both of the ANBU removed their masks. Caleb had Kiba-like dark brown hair, but he looked almost exactly as he did in real life. He wasn't very creative with his appearance…but Justin most likely helped him out in the Jutsu department.

Justin on the other hand…didn't look like himself. He no longer had curls. He wore a black bandanna headband, slanted so the metal plate was on the left side of his head. He had light green eyes, and a thin scar under each eye. Then…Patrick noticed he had a long ponytail that extended down his back. Behind his left shoulder, sticking up for easy access, was an ANBU katana. Then something hit Patrick.

"Wait…Justin…you're an ANBU? And Caleb too?" Patrick asked in disbelief.

"Yup. I'm a genius. ANBU captain at the age of 14. Pretty darn close to Itachi's skill level." Justin replied, grinning.

"And you'd be surprised at how good I am. I didn't think I'd get used to this Naruto thing…but it's like I've lived two lives. I know A LOT of stuff, which makes me feel like a Naruto nerd." Caleb laughed.

Patrick rubbed a hand over his chest, an old habit of his Naruto-self, and realized he was in an ugly hospital smock. He frowned in distaste, and then shook his head. "Anyway…how did you get here?" He asked, though he already knew.

"Journey. The same way you did. He figured we might want to have fun together." Caleb said, and shifted. His dog mask was now attached to his right hip on his belt, and his left hand casually rested on his Katana that was on his other hip. He looked quite intimidating in his ANBU outfit. His thick arms and chest were muscled, and those were accented by the ANBU outfit. He was one scary looking guy.

Patrick nodded, and all of them glanced over at the unconscious Brandon. Justin's gaze seemed to soften for a split second before it shut out any emotion that might have shown. "So you made your body have quick healing?" He asked Patrick, though he didn't look at his friend.

"Yeah. I didn't want to be stuck injured for too long." Patrick said, looking at Justin and shrugging. Then he looked back at Brandon.

"He chose to be a Hyuuga…and you a non-clan ninja. I chose to be a clan ninja, but Caleb didn't. That's pretty cool. Hey, If you tell us your stories, as in yours and Brandon's, then we'll tell you ours." Justin said, and Patrick nodded.

"Sure. But…can you bring Tenten inside? Please…" Patrick said, blushing.

Caleb nodded and quickly turned to the door. He opened it, strode out, and then strode back in. Tenten followed him, and Caleb said, "She was waiting by the door. Waiting, I'm assuming, for us to get out of the way so you two can have some time."

Tenten blushed, but Patrick laughed. "It's okay Tenten. These guys are close friend's of mine. Come sit down. We're about to exchange stories." He said, and Tenten walked over to him and sat next to him on the bed…facing the two ANBU.

Patrick wrapped his left hand around her, since she was on his left side, and she settled comfortably against him. Justin and Caleb grinned, and Patrick grinned right back…totally not embarrassed.

"Okay. I guess I'll go first." Caleb said, and everyone gave him their full attention.

"So…I was just a wee little guy when I went to the Academy. I was mediocre…until it came to the tests. I flunked once, so I took the Academy the second year again. I passed the second time, though just barely. Then I got assigned to a squad, obviously, and I was the weak link on the team. I kept having to have my squad-mates and sensei protect me as I struggled to keep up and grow strong." Caleb paused, and glanced at the ground. "I…my entire squad was wiped out on a mislabeled mission. It was supposed to be an escort only, but rogue ninja attacked our escort…and killed everyone except me. I had been unconscious due to a bad fall. I was spared…and then I came back here and worked my butt off. I just acquired the ANBU rank a few months ago. And now I'm an ANBU in Justin's squad." He said, and then turned to Tenten. "I'm Fifteen by the way."

She nodded, and she had a sympathetic look on her face. Patrick smiled sadly. He knew that loss would be real to Caleb…and the feelings as well, since he was his character. You shared all the feelings you might have had, had this life really been yours. Patrick could still remember his pain…

Justin spoke up next, a mischievous grin on his face. "Tenten…you have to swear yourself to secrecy. My history is a closely guarded secret…one that if repeated, will have you killed."

Tenten raised her eyebrows and then nodded. "I swear that I will never repeat this, and I will do my best to make sure that no one ever finds out." She said solemnly.

"Good. I belong to the Tunnanai Clan...which is the family of the first and Second Hokage's. They were my great-great-great-great uncles…via my father's side. But anyway…while I have the latent ability to control the tailed-beasts…I have another Kekkai Genka. You see, the Land of Lightning wants our Kekkai Genkai, and has for a very long time. They kept track of us, and when two to three Generations ago…a Lightning spy found us. We killed him of course, but we left the village. Our family returned a generation ago…and we've had the protection of all the Hokage's. So…now, my Kekkai Genkai is known as the Genjan. It is an ocular-based Kekkai Genkai, like the Sharingan and Byakugan. It's similar to the Sharingan in the fact that it can see through Genjutsu…and then it reverses them automatically. It also grants us the ability to be able to see in the darkest of nights, as clearly as it were day.

"Now my history, starts at the academy. My first year, when I was 6, I advanced immediately to Genin. I had a knack for the Ninja life. At the age of 9, I advanced to Chunin, and then the age of 10 I advanced to Jonin…and I've been an ANBU for three years. I'm the Captain of Squad 2…the Tailed Ones. We're known as the Tailed Ones because we're the closest thing to Biju without actually being them. We're that powerful." Justin boasted. "But my past is unremarkable, at least when it comes to tragedy. The only thing in my past, is that I always have to be on guard due to the land of Lightning. But other than that…that's all."

Tenten's eyes were wide, as were Patrick's. Justin really went for the power-packed character…and on top of that…he was a descendant of the first and Second Hokage's! Patrick shook his head in disbelief.

"Oh! And I just got back from a mission…where I battled Kisame. He killed one ANBU member before fleeing." Justin said, earning a disbelieving look from Patrick.

"Dang. Not bad at all." Patrick murmured, and Tenten also looked quite shocked. She had battled Kisame…and he was tough. But she was at least two and a half years older than this kid! How could he have fought Kisame and lived?

"So…what's your story, Patrick?" Caleb asked, and shifted from one foot to the other.

"Well, I belonged to a regular team, just like everyone else. But, I advanced two years early…which means I graduated two years before Tenten. But anyway. My team was wiped out, I was heavily injured. I…I decided not to become a permanent member of any teams after that, because I didn't want to risk losing my comrades again. But, two years ago, Tsunade assigned me on a mission with Team Guy. It was a regular mission at first, a non-conflict, but it quickly escalated. We fought for hours and hours…and we were exhausted. Tenten was left open to a wind-style Jutsu, so I jumped in front of it. I didn't want anyone, let alone her, to get hurt. I was badly injured, near-critical…and I was classified dead. But Neji found a faint heartbeat, and they rescued me. They took me to a hospital, and then we lost contact. Once I was healed, I started to travel so I could find Jutsu to make me stronger to protect the ones I held precious…and I also gained the rank of Chunin. Then, a few days ago I came back here. I came to find Brandon, and I went to the Hyuuga Estate. And that's just about everything until I intersect with Brandon. The Hyuuga's had told me he was dead." Patrick explained, going slow so his friends could soak all of it in.

"But…I wasn't dead. I had been kidnapped many years ago by a traitorous main-branch member. He raised me in the Land of Lightning, to be a Lightning Ninja used in a battle against the Leaf. But, on my birthday a few days ago, I had a vision…a dream." A weak voice murmured. They all turned, and saw Brandon sitting up, pale and exhausted. He continued in a raspy voice.

"I dreamt of my father, and Hiashi, and Hinata. And then…I dreamed of Naruto fighting me. It unlocked a doubt that sent me to look at my 'Father's' files. He was an S-class Criminal. So I went back to our apartment and tried to take him here with me, but he wouldn't come. We fought, and I killed him. Then I traveled here, pursued by one ANBU until I knocked him unconscious…and then another ANBU caught me at the border of the Hidden Leaf. Hinata, Shino, Kiba, and a company of ANBU saved me…though I was injured. I killed the ANBU that had pursued and injured me, and I came back to the compound. They had been holding Patrick as a 'guest'…and I heard he fought and won against Neji. But anyway…they let him go, and then established me as a Leaf Genin. I fought Patrick Earlier, as you saw…a friendly skirmish of sorts…and that's all up to now." He finished, and sank back against the pillow, still sitting up though.

They were wide-eyed at his quick update…and the fact that he was awake. "Uh, you forgot about yours and Hinata's arranged marriage." Patrick said, and Caleb and Justin did a double-take.

"WHAT?" Justin yelled, and Brandon chuckled wearily.

"Yeah." Brandon whispered, smiling.

"Oh…wow." Caleb said. Marriage at the age of 16? Holy cow.

"Brandon-kun?" Came a hesitant and soft voice from the doorway. All the ninja in the room looked towards the familiar voice…the voice that sent Brandon's heart racing. His eyes were heavy, threatening to slam shut in exhaustion…but he managed to look over at the girl in the doorway.

Wearing a lavender Kimono that matched her beautiful eyes, and having her long Indigo hair spill down her shoulders, accompanied by Neji in a white Kimono…was Hinata Hyuuga. In her hands was a small jar of ointment, and in Neji's hands was a collection of white flowers. Neji's eyes were fixed on Tenten, who was comfortably leaning into Patrick. Hinata's eyes were on the two ANBU.

"Hina-chan." Brandon murmured, earning a slight blush from the girl. She entered the room, passing Caleb and Justin, and walked to Brandon's side.

"You sound thirsty." She whispered, and he nodded. He was indeed thirsty.

She reached for a cup of water that was on the bedside table, and carefully helped him drink out of it. After he had drank half of it, he was finished. He spoke, his voice no longer raspy. "Hina-chan, Neji…hello. Hinata, I would like to introduce you to more friends of mine, from my previous life. Caleb, who is one of my closest friends." Caleb bowed at his introduction, and smiled at Brandon's name for Hinata.

"It's an honor to meet you, Lady Hinata. My name is Caleb Atu, ANBU, 15 years old." He said formally. She bowed back, and then Brandon introduced Justin.

"This other one is Justin…who was my younger brother. He is Justin Tunnanai now…" He said, and Hinata's eyes widened. Justin bowed, and Hinata reciprocated.

"Lady Hinata. I hope you've been good to him?" Justin said, and she nodded slowly.

"Yes…I would like to think I have been." She said, smiling.

"No doubt about it. You have." Brandon said, reassuring her.

"So you two were brothers?" She asked Justin, who nodded.

"Yeah. I was his younger step-brother. He's two and a half years older than me." He said, and smiled.

"I brought you ointment for your wounds, home-made and much more effective than the traditional Hospital ointments. And I also brought you some get-well flowers." She said, turning to Brandon.

"Thank you very much, Hina-chan…I appreciate it a lot." He said, and weakly extended his left arm towards her. She took his hand in her gentle grasp, and smiled fondly at him. Neji came over and bowed low to Brandon, who rolled his pale eyes. "Neji…you don't have to bow to me. It may be etiquette, but still. In my eyes, you are the superior, and I should bow to me, but you obviously wouldn't accept it. So instead, a compromise would be that neither of us bow to each other, how's that?" Brandon said, and Neji looked thoughtful.

"I see no problem with it, though the council might." Neji said, and Brandon shrugged wearily.

"The Council, is a bunch of self-righteous fools who want to exercise their powers over the weak. Though Hiashi isn't like that…the majority of them are." Brandon amended, and everyone raised their eyebrows at his remark. That was very offensive, and he could have been punished for speaking like that…had any of them not agreed with what he said.

Brandon wearily tried to sit up more, but promptly ended up back against the pillows. Hinata worriedly put her hands on his shoulders. "You are too exhausted to get up, don't try or you could make things worse. Please…just rest." She said, and Neji let a small smile grace his usually stern features.

"We'll be leaving then. We'll see you soon though." Justin said, gesturing to Caleb. Caleb nodded, and then looked at Brandon.

"Brandon…take it easy." He said, and then put on his mask. He then spoke in a raspy and spooky voice. "We'll be watching you." He said, and then Justin and Caleb disappeared. Brandon chuckled, at the same time as Patrick, and sighed.

"This just keeps getting better and better. Now they're here." He said, smiling at Patrick. Patrick nodded, and grinned.

"Get some sleep, dude. You look ready to drop." He cautioned, and Brandon smiled.

"I'm fine, really." He tried to say, but Hinata gently put a finger against his lips. "None of that. We all know you're exhausted." She murmured, leaning close to him. He smiled, and breathed in her scent. It soothed his nerves, and made him want to fall asleep.

"Okay…" He sighed, and Hinata smiled at him. She removed her finger from his lips, only to have her soft lips replace it. They kissed lightly…a feathery touch that conveyed her genuine concern and care for him. He kissed back slowly, relishing the feeling of her lips against his…and then she pulled back. Patrick whistled, mischievousness written all over his features. He suddenly turned to Tenten and locked his lips fiercely on hers, and after a moment's hesitation…she returned it with a fiery passion equal to his.

Brandon and Hinata raised their eyebrows, and Neji blushed and turned away. Hinata retrieved the white flowers from her embarrassed cousin, set them on the table next to Brandon, and then smiled down at her fellow Hyuuga. "I'll be back tomorrow, assuming there are no missions suddenly assigned." She said, and turned to leave. She grabbed Neji's arm, guiding him out of the room so he wouldn't have to look at the fierce display of affection between Patrick and Tenten.

Brandon blushed and closed his eyes, trying to shut out the sounds as well, as he sank low into his pillows. "Good night." He muttered, and did his best to keep his eyes tightly closed.

Justin and Caleb sat together, side by side, on a thick tree branch. The early evening sun rested on their backs, as they contemplated all that had taken place in such a short time. They had requested to be sent in at the time ANBU that had gathered and watched the fight, just because they wanted to watch the whole fight. They were quite impressed with their friends fighting techniques and Jutsu.

"So Patrick has Tenten, Brandon has Hinata…and I sure as heck do _not_ want any 'anime' chicks. Did you?" Caleb asked monotonously from behind his dog ANBU mask.

"Uh…" Justin said, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment.

Caleb rolled his eyes. "Justin…who'd you get?" He asked.

"Temari of the Sand, who just happens to be in the village as a visiting dignitary." Justin murmured, and Caleb laughed.

"Ah! The girl who wears the fishnets!" Caleb laughed.

"Yeah. The girl who wears the fishnets." Justin muttered, and quickly rose to his feet.

"So…what do you want to do?" Justin asked, and Caleb stood as well.

"How about train at the training field?" Caleb suggested, and Justin grinned behind his mask.

"Sure thing. Let's go, Kai." Justin said, adopting the nickname Caleb used as an ANBU call sign.

Caleb cracked his knuckles leisurely, and then without any warning…the both of them disappeared from sight. To the untrained eye they were invisible, but to each other, they could see clearly. They zoomed towards a training field…the one that Team 7 used all those years ago. They were there in a matter of minutes…and stopped in the middle of the clearing between the three logs and the riverbed.

They wasted no time, but went straight to training. They withdrew their Katana from their sheaths, and started their fight. They were not the kind to waste words, or actions. Their movements were simple, yet deadly. The slightest miscalculation could lead to a fatal injury, as they viciously attacked. The sound of steel meeting steel echoed in the forest as they thrust, parried, dodged, and returned each other's attacks. There swords were hardly visible due to their immense speeds. There bodies were close to each other, making the chance even greater that a miscalculation could kill them. But…that was how they worked. They improved their trust and their teamwork through being so close to the chance of death…that was their way.

Finally, they broke apart, jumping a good ten to twenty feet from each other. They didn't even bat an eyelash as they both sheathed their swords, and took off their masks. They attached their masks to their belts, and Justin grinned. "Good." Was all he said.

Caleb, or Kai, suddenly knelt and slammed his fist into the ground. Justin jumped into the air in response, as a spike made of earth erupted where he had just stood. Justin's long ponytail flew like a flag behind him, and then started to spin when he did. He was performing one of his signature Taijutsu. He disappeared, even from Caleb's sight, and then appeared right in Caleb's face.

Caleb brought up his guard as Justin spun around to kick at him. "Windmill Triple Attack!" Justin yelled, and Caleb knew the attack would hurt. He had seen it in action many times…and been up against it many times. But somehow, Justin always slipped behind his guard and pummeled him. That was why Justin was the Captain of the Tailed Ones. He was too powerful to be human…but he was indeed made from flesh and bone.

Kai felt immense pain as Justin's foot slammed into the left side of his face three times, and then he flew backwards from the immense power that Justin put into the kick. Justin was holding back…but giving enough effort for Caleb to train. If Justin were to really go all out, Caleb would have been dead before he had had a chance to draw his sword when they arrived.

Caleb used his Body Flicker, as he flipped through the air and landed on his feet. He pushed off and landed behind Justin, but Justin was waiting. "Tu!" He yelled, and punched Caleb in the gut. "Na!" He yelled again, and as Caleb doubled over in pain, he performed a spin-kick to Caleb's face. Caleb staggered from the blow, and Justin continued his spin. "Nai!" He yelled, and his left hand performed a close-fisted backhand to Caleb's face. Caleb stumbled backwards, and then was shot into the air as Justin back flip-kicked him into the air. Caleb was still amazed at how strong Justin was…he was sure he was ten times more powerful than Naruto, or even the Hokage.

Justin pushed off from the ground, flying high above the limp Caleb. Caleb was sore. Their training matches usually lasted longer…but Caleb knew Justin just wanted to show off for the girl who was in the woods watching them. Temari. "Dragon Barrage!" Justin yelled, and flipped Caleb upside down. He hugged Caleb's Knees, while wrapping his legs around Caleb's throat, making Caleb's head the only thing that would hit the ground as they plummeted towards the earth. Caleb readied himself for the impact as he hurtled downwards, and screwed his eyes shut. But…the impact never came. He found himself being held upside down by Justin, Justin only holding him by his ankles. Kai's head was less than a centimeter from the ground.

"Dude…you're too good." Caleb complimented, and flipped upright. He was clearly stating he no longer wished to get beat up…just for Justin's gain.

Justin laughed. "I know. Sorry. I just didn't feel like wasting time today. I'm impatient."

Caleb nodded, and nursed his sore jaw. He looked directly at the spot in which the Sand Kunoichi was hiding. "Well? Are you just going to try to hide like a little rabbit all day?" He asked, speaking loud enough for her to hear him.

"I was not hiding like a rabbit!" Temari protested as she stepped out from the bushes. She defiantly planted her fists on her hips, and Justin laughed. Caleb rolled his eyes at Temari's denial of hiding like a rabbit…when she had been.

"Greetings, Temari-san." Justin said, bowing slightly. He didn't bother to put on his mask…but Caleb did. He liked wearing his mask. It made him feel invincible…especially after having his butt handed to him by his younger captain.

"Um…you know who I am?" She asked, obviously confused.

Justin grinned widely. "Yes. How could I not know Temari of the Sands? One of the fiercest Kunoichi in the Ninja world…and sister to the Puppet Master Kankuro and Kazekage Gaara of the Sand? I would have to live under a rock to have not heard of you. I am Justin Tunnanai, ANBU squad Captain." He said, introducing himself.

Temari blushed at the compliment of being called one of the fiercest Kunoichi in the Ninja world…and smiled. "It's nice to meet you as well, Justin Tunnanai. It was amazing to see you spar with your partner." She said, and Justin smiled.

"Thank you. Usually we would have sparred longer…but it seems that I am impatient today. I apologize we didn't give you a longer show." He replied formally.

"I thank you for letting me watch you. What I could see…was amazing." She replied back just as formally.

"I apologize if I come off as to forward…but the rumors I heard say that your fighting skills are second…" Temari stiffened slightly, at her fighting skills being called second to someone else's. "Only to your beauty." He finished, and Temari blushed.

Caleb held in a laugh. So this was Justin's way of pouring on the charm? How embarrassing. He bowed to both of them. "I'm taking my leave. Justin…you know where I'll be." He said, and disappeared to leave the two to their…meeting.

Temari turned her head away, so Justin couldn't see her blush. Not many men called her beautiful. Her brothers, sometimes…but most men were frightened of her and didn't consider her beautiful. She was a very intimidating woman. Very smart…and very dangerous. But she was still a woman.

"Thank you…Justin-san." She said, and Justin grinned. "Just call me Justin." He walked forward, and then stopped when they were five or so feet from each other. He didn't want to crowd her, but he wanted to show her he was interested in conversation at least.

She smiled sadly. "Unfortunately, Justin…I have to be going now. I had just finished up my daily exercises when I saw you, and now I have to go report to the Hokage." She said, and Justin smiled.

"That's fine. It was a pleasure to get to talk to you, Temari." He said, and as she walked away, he slipped on his mask…and disappeared. He had body-flickered away, going to where Caleb would be waiting for him.

He appeared in front of a relaxing Caleb, who had his mask on still…but was reclining on top of the Hokage Monument. Justin sat down, huffing in disappointment. He punched the Sandaime's head, seeing as they were sitting upon it, and growled under his breath.

"She had to go?" Caleb asked casually.

"Yeah." Justin answered, and took off his dragon ANBU mask.

"Well…at least you made it on time…" Caleb muttered.

"Yeah…I guess for once you guys won't have to yell at me." Justin said. He didn't even turn around, as he addressed the four other ANBU who had silently appeared. They were watching their leader, the Captain of the Tailed Ones.

"Well…we may just yell at you out of habit." Laughed one, who bore a dragon mask with red painted swirls around the face. A large spiky black afro outlined the mask, and that was all that was able to be seen of the man. They all wore standard ANBU gear, except instead of short-sleeved shirts they wore tight long-sleeved black shirts.

"Eh…shut it, Keru." Chuckled Caleb. He got up and stood straight up from his laid-back position.

Justin's Squad consisted of several men. Caleb, or Kai; Kanakeru, or Keru; Shinji, or Shin; Tohru, or Tori; and Orokinmaru, or Oro. They shortened their names so when they were in the heat of battle, they wouldn't yell their full names and reveal themselves. Justin's call sign was 'Draken'. He had thought of the root 'Draco' for Dragon and then made it Draken…just for originality.

Justin set his Dragon Mask on a clip on his belt, and sighed. His mask in question didn't have red swirls like Keru's, but had yellow swirls. He was quite proud of it, seeing as he had crafted and painted it himself. He returned his attention from his mask to his comrades, and sighed. "We need to go visit Madame Hokage. It's time for use to report in, reporting that we're fit for duty after a day's worth of recuperation."

They all nodded, and Justin gave them a careless glance as they all Body-Flickered at the same time. Lines blurred, streaking past them as they appeared inside of the Hokage tower, at the receptionists desk. He put on his mask, and turned to the Secretary. "ANBU squad 2 reporting in for Madame Hokage." Justin said, his voice muffled behind his mask. The receptionist, a quiet young blonde Kunoichi, nodded.

"She's busy. She's in a very important meeting now, but she'll be out in a few minutes." She said, and they all nodded. They went to the chairs that decorated the reception room, and sat together. They all crossed their arms, and stayed silent. They weren't the only ones in the reception room, so their talk would be limited even if they did talk. However, Justin noted that Hinata and Neji stood in a far corner in the undecorated wooden room, talking softly. He nudged Caleb, who sat next to him, and jerked his head at the two Hyuuga. Caleb nodded, and Justin was surprised when another Hyuuga stood from the chairs and walked over. The expression on his face showed distaste at the sight of a Branch member, and Neji bowed deeply.

Justin watched as the Main House member conversed shortly with Hinata, his body language and tone indicating he was an arrogant and haughty member who was only talking to the Hyuga lady because he felt he had to. Justin stood, and casually walked over. He stayed out of their line of sight, but listened in carefully. He could only catch snippets of conversation at the range he was at, but that was enough for him.

"…Even though _we_ were to be arranged before he showed up?...No family…no prospects…he's a disgrace!...If you came with me…power….money…respect…I'm even higher rank!" The member fiercely whispered, keeping his hands in the folds of his robe. His long, greasy black hair was pulled back, and his firm young face would have seemed gentle if it hadn't been for his lips which curled back in obvious anger.

Hinata shook her head, and Justin heard her reply. "My decision is final. He's a better man than you'll ever be…regardless of his rank or his prospects. That, and it's my father's will." Justin saw the smirk cross Neji's face for an instant, and Justin had the urge to laugh. The Main House member must have seen it as well, because he growled in anger. He was obviously incensed at Hinata's reply, and Neji had just made things worse. The Main House member's right hand jerked out of his robe, forming half of the seal of the Tiger, and Justin recognized what was about to happen.

The Main House member was going to use the Cursed Seal on Neji, to inflict pain on the seal branded upon his forehead. He was taking his anger out on Neji, though a light reprimand was really all the situation called for at the very most. Justin acted, flickering across the room casually and grabbing the hand before it was completely up. He applied pressure, squeezing gently to get the man's attention. Hinata, Neji, and the Hyuuga all gasped in surprised at Justin's arrival, and the Hyuuga hissed, "Let go of me! You have no place to interfere!"

Justin leaned close, squeezing the man's hand harder, causing the Hyuga to wince. "I have all the authority I need to interfere in what looks might have become a case of treason. Attacking a fellow Konoha shinobi, for lack of reason even…You're no better than a playground bully at the Academy." Justin murmured through his mask, insulting the haughty Hyuuga.

The Hyuuga attempted to jerk his hand free, but Justin held it tightly. He could feel the gazes of his comrades, especially Caleb's, but didn't react. "Besides…it sounds like you were insulting my brother." He murmured, drawing a sneer from the Hyuuga.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." He spat, and Justin gave him a lazy smile, even if he couldn't see it. "I guess the fact that you're talking about someone who showed up and ruined an arranged marriage by taking Hinata from you, who happens to be a newly appointed Genin with no family, no power, and no money managed to slip by me. I didn't think Hyuuga's insulted each other, seeing as how prestigious they were, though. I could have sworn you called him a disgrace." He murmured gently.

The Hyuuga's face flushed red in anger, and the Hyuuga hissed, "Yes, you must have been imagining things."

Justin chuckled softly, and with a clean snap, broke the man's fingers. The man didn't cry out, which impressed Justin slightly, but paled. Justin whispered, "Well, then, I apologize for my imagination running overboard. But, maybe you'd like to keep your Chakra controlled and your fist out of striking position." Justin murmured softly, indicating with a head jerk at the man's left hand that had flattened into the Jyuken strike position. The man's hand went limp, and Justin continued. "And, I'd prefer it if you didn't take your anger out on a fellow Leaf Ninja. Usually that isn't my department…but I can't help it when I see an arrogant bastard like you abusing your power. Get lost, and don't come near Hinata with a stupid offer like that again." He said, his chuckle turning into a hiss of anger at the end. The Hyuuga hid his right hand with its broken index and middle fingers in his robe, and strode out of the room.

Hinata gave Justin a slight bow, as did Neji. Neji had an amused look on his face, and Justin grinned behind his mask as he bowed back to them. "Thank you, Justin-san. I assure you, however, that it was not necessary to step in." Hinata murmured. The few other Ninja and Civilians that littered the room were watching with interest, and Justin indicated to a few seats by his squad.

"I apologize for interrupting…and for listening in. But I can't stand some kinds of people…and he was one of those kinds. I acted out of instinct when I saw his hand raise, so I apologize…but I couldn't let him use it on someone who can't defend himself from it." Justin said, leading Hinata and Neji to the seats he had indicated. They all sat down, and Neji inclined his head slightly.

"I thank you for your concern, but now I fear you will get into trouble." Neji said softly, and Justin shrugged.

"It's fine. I'll just let Tsunade know that the scumbag was being dishonorable. I have a code of honor to abide by, and one is to defend those weaker than myself. I don't mean to be rude when I say it, and I don't mean to offend you when I say you're weaker than I am…I apologize if I come off as rude." Justin said hastily. Neji chuckled, and Hinata laughed softly.

"It is fine. I know for a fact you could take me apart if you so wished. Not even at my skill level would I be able to hit you once." Neji replied, and Justin was surprised at his honesty and humility. Justin inclined his head, and then murmured, "Well, to be honest, I'm sure you could hit me if you tried hard enough. I'm not untouchable." Then he cast a glance at Caleb, who was coming over.

Caleb sat on the other side of Hinata so the seating arrangement was the ANBU members on the outside and the Hyuuga's on the inside. "I take it Justin stuck his nose in?" He asked, amused.

Hinata smiled, but didn't answer, and Neji smirked. Caleb chuckled, and then turned to Justin. "So, I take it he was just a pompous air bag?" He said, referring to the Hyuuga. Justin shrugged. Caleb shrugged back and sat back in his chair.

"Lady Hinata…forgive me, but was it true? Were you to be have an arranged marriage with him?" Justin asked suddenly. Hinata nodded. "I had several candidates that my father was considering. I'm lucky, because out of all of them, he was the nicest. Then, Brandon came along…and I can tell he's much better than any of them. None of them could compare to him." She said, and Justin nodded in contemplation. Hinata did seem quite taken with his brother.

"Well, I'm glad then. But...what do the others feel? I mean the Hyuuga head families, what do they feel now that Brandon's 'returned from the dead' and he is to marry the Heiress of the Hyuuga?" Justin asked. He needed to know if he would have to watch Brandon's back.

Hinata turned her head to Neji, who nodded, and then she sighed. "There is division, because lately one family in particular was quite anxious to secure its position with the Head of the Hyuuga. Namely, the family of the boy whose hand you injured." Hinata said pointedly, and Justin scratched his head in embarrassment. "They would prefer me to marry the 'stronger' and 'more prestigious' Hyuuga family. They don't like the fact that Brandon has no property, no house, no anything because of his family's early and untimely demise. He might have an uncle or aunt who could help, but none who would willingly put him in their will when they have children of their own to pass their property and money to. Brandon is essentially a pauper of the Hyuuga, and has nothing to his name except he's a traitor to the Cloud, and a Hyuuga whom now is in trouble for fighting with massive caliber Jutsu in the center of the Village." Hinata said, and Justin detected pride in her voice as she said the last part of the sentence. He grinned a little behind the mask, and then murmured, "I see."

"Which is why I'm here today…I'm going to try to talk to Lady Tsunade about perhaps setting him up with a small house or apartment and maybe a loan that we could pay off later for him." Hinata said, and Justin immediately started to shake his head. Hinata gave him a look of surprise and confusion. "What?" She asked.

"Brandon may be kind, and gentle at times, but it doesn't mean he has no pride. He wouldn't accept it from you, as much as he loves you. He would want to do it on his own, and to make it his own way. It would be a mistake to ask for a loan. He might take a temporary housing unit…but not a loan." Justin said, and Hinata looked downcast. Justin hastily continued, "I'm sure he would love the fact that you were so concerned for him…but his pride as a man and as a Ninja wouldn't let him accept a loan. It may be difficult to understand, but he would want to do things on his own, through his own hard work and sweat and blood." Justin said.

Hinata nodded thoughtfully, her lavender eyes thoughtful. Justin looked over, as the door to the Hokage's office opened, and a Daimyo left the room looking quite angry. Justin raised an eyebrow, and then turned his attention back to Hinata. However, as he was about to speak, the Secretary called out, "ANBU squad 2, seeing as you are high priority you can go next."

Justin hesitated and then shook his head. "No. I'll give my spot to Lady Hyuuga." He stated, and stood, indicating to the doorway. Hinata looked surprised, but then recovered and quickly bowed in thanks. Justin bowed back and then watched as Hinata and Neji went into the office. Then, he and Caleb went back to their squad, who were sitting patiently. Keru, Tori, and Oro were sitting still with their arms crossed, while Shin sat with on the balls of his feet on the chair, his arms hanging by his sides. Justin shook his head and joined his squad. Shin's short, yet spiky, blond hair stuck out just over his black-swirled fox mask, and Justin thought that it actually looked quite intimidating. He shook his head, this time to clear his thoughts, and then sat with his squad.

He had offered his spot to Hinata not only for Hinata's sake, but because he could sense a familiar Chakra Presence approaching slowly. He was waiting for them. Finally, the afro bearing Keru spoke softly. "Captain…what did you mean when you told the Hyuuga he insulted your brother? I was under the impression you were an only child?"

Justin slowly turned his head to the right to look at Keru. "We're siblings." He said, and then decided to say it as Patrick and Brandon had. "But only in a previous life." He said, and the man seemed to accept it.

"I see. So you have memories from a previous life?" He asked skeptically. Justin sighed and stood. "Yes, Keru. I do." He said, and then turned away from Keru and towards the approaching Chakra presence.

Temari walked into the reception room, through double swinging doors. The Secretary knew immediately what she was there for, and indicated to a seat. Temari, wearing her black tunic top and black shorts and black fishnet leggings, raised her eyebrows as she turned to the seating section and saw Justin and Caleb again. She smiled softly, her green eyes locking on the dark eye-holes of Justin's Dragon mask. Justin grinned behind his mask, and gingerly removed his mask. It was generally frowned upon for an ANBU to do it in public, but he didn't care.

They stopped within a few feet of each other, and Justin murmured, "Well, well. Fancy meeting you here, Temari-san." He chuckled softly, looking into her eyes. They were eye level, but he was sure she had no idea how young he was. He was about two years younger than she was, if not three. How would she feel about being liked by a fourteen year old?

"You can just call me Temari. Justin…by chance are you stalking me?" She asked playfully. Justin grinned. "As much as I want to say 'yes', it's a 'no'. I'm here with my squad to report that we're fit for duty after recuperation." He replied, and she nodded. Justin moved to the chairs, booting Shin off his seat, seeing as he wasn't sitting on it properly anyway. "Here you go, Temari." Justin said, indicating to the chair.

Temari laughed as Shin picked himself indignantly off the floor, and then he sat in a different chair. She sat in it, removing her large fan from her back before she did so, and crossed her legs. Justin sat next to her, on her right, and clipped his mask onto his belt. "So…you just happen to be here after I tell you that I have to go to see the Hokage?" Temari asked, a playful glint sparkling in her eye.

Justin feigned surprise. "Oh? You said that?" He said, not fooling her. She gave him a cocky grin, and then sat forward, almost nose to nose with Justin.

"Wanna go out on a date?" She asked, and Justin laughed in surprised. Temari sat back almost immediately, a hurt and defensive look on her face. Justin quickly recovered. "I'm sorry! I'm not laughing at you at all! I'm just laughing at the fact that I wasn't expecting you to be so blunt about it…and I was going to ask you the same question." He said, reassuring her. She unfolded her arms from across her chest, and looked at him suspiciously. He held his hands in front of him, a soft smile on his face. "I promise." Justin said…and Temari smiled.

"Sorry. I don't meet too many men who know my reputation as a 'man-eater' and who still want to get to know me or go on a date with me…so when you laughed I thought you found the idea of going on a date with me absurd." Temari murmured, embarrassed. Justin leaned close, and said softly, "Well, that's not the case at all. I'm quite impressed by your reputation. You're quite ruthless, you know what you want…and I find the idea of going on a date with you quite appealing. So, I'll come by your hotel at…oh, 7 o'clock?" Justin asked.

She blushed at his comments, and turned away quickly. Then she spoke, not looking at him. "Well…okay. Nothing fancy, mind you. Just a quiet place to get to know each other." She said, and Justin grinned widely. "Great."

Then she looked at him, a surprised look on her face. "Wait…you know what hotel I'm at?" She asked, and Justin laughed.

"Yeah…I must admit I'm a little nosy when it comes to powerful ninja coming into our village. When I learned it was you, I just had to know where to find you, so I could meet you. I'd always heard about you…and now I get to see if everything that's been said is true." He said, and she laughed nervously.

"I hope it's all been good things." She said, though she knew a lot weren't. Justin smirked. "Well…that's for me to know, and you to find out. But don't worry…I'm sure you're a much better kisser than what they've said. I'm sure you can't have sucked a man's face clean off." He murmured, and then stood once the Hokage's door opened. He slipped on his mask, and left a blushing Temari in the seat as he and his squad filed into the office as they slipped by Hinata and Neji. He resisted the urge to laugh as he played it cool, and shut the door behind the last remaining squad member. Waiting for tonight would be hard…but being with her tonight would be heaven. He was sure of that, as sure as he was that she had indeed not sucked a man's face off.

Okay, I did this little segment on Justin and Caleb. The next chapter will focus mainly on the JustinxTemari bit, though Caleb and Patrick and I (Brandon) will be there. So, let me know if you like the story so far! I might discontinue the story, however, if I don't hear anything.

FR1


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